Boots sold in £7bn deal to Canadian billionaire family
The Canadian billionaire Weston family's holding company, Wittington Investments, has acquired the UK pharmacy chain Boots for $8.9bn. The deal includes Boots' retail operations, opticians, and the No7 Beauty Company, with completion expected in early 2027.
Why it matters
This represents a significant shift in ownership for a major UK high-street retailer, impacting thousands of employees and the pharmacy sector.
Image source, Getty Images By Michael Race Business reporter Published 7 October 2026, 15:06 BST Updated 4 minutes ago Boots, the High Street pharmacy and retail chain, has been sold in an $8.9bn (£6.7bn) deal to the holding company of Canada's billionaire Weston family.
Wittington Investments confirmed it had agreed to buy Boots on Wednesday from US private equity firm Sycamore Partners.
Sycamore had only owned the retailer for 18 months.
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