The UK has a real retail giant in Boots, a renowned drugstore chain. Similar to Walgreens in the US, Boots has not only sold medicines and cosmetics over the years, but also offered an impressive range of cameras and accessories. Surprisingly, many of these cameras were resales from better known brands such as Braun, Beier, Franka, Houghtons, King and Bencini, which were sold under Boots’ own brand name.
For much of the 20th century, Boots was a favorite port of call for camera enthusiasts in Britain. Although the company sold cameras, it was best known for its photo development service. This service, which offered film processing, was and remains popular with many Britons, although it is no longer available in all branches. Nowadays, of course, Boots no longer sells analogue cameras under its own brand.
History of the drugstore chain
Boots has evolved significantly since its humble beginnings. John Boot established a herb shop in Nottingham in 1849. This humble shop laid the foundations for what would later be founded under his son’s direction as Boot & Company Limited in 1883. Boots has grown exponentially since then, extending its influence well beyond the UK borders. The company formed a strategic partnership with Walgreens, a major American drugstore chain, in 2012 and now operates more than 3,000 retail stores in over 25 countries worldwide.
But despite this massive expansion and change, it’s remarkable that Boots still retains some of its history and heritage in photography. For many Brits, Boots remains a familiar face on the High Street, a place to have their film developed and their photographic needs met.
