You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons:

This IP address has been blocked from editing Wikipedia.
This does not affect your ability to read Wikipedia pages.
Most people who see this message have done nothing wrong. Some kinds of blocks restrict editing from specific service providers or telecom companies in response to recent abuse or vandalism, and can sometimes affect other users who are unrelated to that abuse. Review the information below for assistance if you do not believe that you have done anything wrong.

The IP address or range 34.227.0.0/16 has been blocked by ‪Blablubbs‬ for the following reason(s):

The IP address that you are currently using has been blocked because it is believed to be a web host provider or colocation provider. To prevent abuse, web hosts and colocation providers may be blocked from editing Wikipedia.
You will not be able to edit Wikipedia using a web host or colocation provider because it hides your IP address, much like a proxy or VPN.
We recommend that you attempt to use another connection to edit. For example, if you use a proxy or VPN to connect to the internet, turn it off when editing Wikipedia. If you edit using a mobile connection, try using a Wi-Fi connection, and vice versa. If you are using a corporate internet connection, switch to a different Wi-Fi network. If you have a Wikipedia account, please log in.
If you do not have any other way to edit Wikipedia, you will need to request an IP block exemption.

How to appeal if you are confident that your connection does not use a colocation provider's IP address:
If you are confident that you are not using a web host, you may appeal this block by adding the following text on your talk page: ((unblock|reason=Caught by a colocation web host block but this host or IP is not a web host. My IP address is _______. Place any further information here. ~~~~)). You must fill in the blank with your IP address for this block to be investigated. Your IP address can be determined here. Alternatively, if you wish to keep your IP address private you can use the unblock ticket request system. There are several reasons you might be editing using the IP address of a web host or colocation provider (such as if you are using VPN software or a business network); please use this method of appeal only if you think your IP address is in fact not a web host or colocation provider.

Administrators: The IP block exemption user right should only be applied to allow users to edit using web host in exceptional circumstances, and requests should usually be directed to the functionaries team via email. If you intend to give the IPBE user right, a CheckUser needs to take a look at the account. This can be requested most easily at SPI Quick Checkuser Requests. Unblocking an IP or IP range with this template is highly discouraged without at least contacting the blocking administrator.

This block will expire on 11:46, 23 November 2025. Your current IP address is 34.227.114.28.

Even when blocked, you will usually still be able to edit your user talk page, as well as email administrators and other editors.

For information on how to proceed, please read the FAQ for blocked users and the guideline on block appeals. The guide to appealing blocks may also be helpful.

Other useful links: Blocking policy · Help:I have been blocked
This IP address range has been globally blocked.
This does not affect your ability to read Wikipedia pages.
Most people who see this message have done nothing wrong. Some kinds of blocks restrict editing from specific service providers or telecom companies in response to recent abuse or vandalism, and can sometimes affect other users who are unrelated to that abuse. Review the information below for assistance if you do not believe that you have done anything wrong.

This block affects editing on all Wikimedia wikis.
The IP address or range 34.227.0.0/16 has been globally blocked by ‪Jon Kolbert‬ for the following reason(s):

Open proxy/Webhost: See the help page if you are affected

This block will expire on 05:38, 21 February 2029. Your current IP address is 34.227.114.28.

Even while globally blocked, you will usually still be able to edit pages on Meta-Wiki.

If you believe you were blocked by mistake, you can find additional information and instructions in the No open proxies global policy. Otherwise, to discuss the block please post a request for review on Meta-Wiki. You could also send an email to the stewards VRT queue at stewards@wikimedia.org including all above details.

Other useful links: Global blocks · Help:I have been blocked

You can view and copy the source of this page:

((Short description|Hong Kong retailer))
((refimprove|date=December 2016))

((Infobox company
| name = AS Watson Group (Hong Kong) Ltd.
| logo =
| image = Watson House 2018.jpg
| image_caption = Head office at Watson House in [[Fo Tan]]
| traded_as = 
| genre = <!-- Only used with media and publishing companies -->
| fate = 
| predecessor = 
| successor = 
| foundation = ((Start date and age|df=yes|1828))
| founder = 
| defunct = <!-- ((End date|YYYY|MM|DD)) -->
| location_city = Hong Kong
| location = 
| locations = 16,100+ stores Worldwide
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = ((Unbulleted list|[[Victor Li]] ([[Chairman]])|Dominic Lai ([[Managing Director]])|Malina Ngai (Group [[Chief operating officer|COO]] and [[CEO]] Asia & Europe) ))
| industry = Health & beauty retail
| products = Health, beauty & lifestyle brands
| services = 
| revenue = 
| operating_income = 
| net_income = 
| aum = <!-- Only used with financial services companies -->
| assets = 
| equity = 
| owners = ((plainlist|
* [[CK Hutchison Holdings]] (75%)
* [[Temasek Holdings]] (25%)
))
| num_employees = 130,000+
| parent = 
| divisions = AS Watson (Health & Beauty UK) Ltd
| subsid = 
| homepage = ((url|http://www.aswatson.com/))
| footnotes = 
| intl = 
))
'''AS Watson Group''' (or '''AS Watson''' or '''ASW''') is the world's largest international health and beauty retailer by number of stores, with over 16,400 stores in 28 markets, primarily in Asia and Europe.<ref>((cite web|title=Home - AS Watson Group ((!)) A member of CK Hutchison Holdings|url=http://www.aswatson.com/|website=A.S. Watson Group ((!)) A member of CK Hutchison Holdings))</ref>

A member of CK Hutchison Holdings, ASW operates the world's largest portfolio of retail formats, retail brands and has the largest geographical presence. The company is majority owned by multinational conglomerate [[CK Hutchison Holdings|CK Hutchison Holdings Limited]], with just over 75 percent, after the remaining stake was sold to Singapore government-owned [[Temasek Holdings]] in March 2014.<ref name = SCMP-Temasek>[http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1454108/li-ka-shing-hong-kongs-richest-man-sells-25pc-share-retail-chain Li Ka-shing sells nearly 25pc of AS Watson to Singapore investment giant Temasek], SCMP, 22 March 2014</ref>

==History==
===1828–1999: Founding and success===
AS Watson had its beginnings as the Canton Dispensary and Soda Water Establishment, founded in 1828,<ref name=LordWatson>((cite news|author=Lord, Richard|url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2170198/story-watson-hong-kong-pharmacy-worlds-largest-health-and-beauty-group|title=The story of AS Watson: from a Hong Kong pharmacy to world's largest health and beauty group|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=2018-10-27|access-date=2018-10-30)) - Print title: "Dispensing with tradition"</ref> as a small dispensary with the mission to provide free medical services to the poor people of the Southern Chinese province of [[Guangdong]] (also known as Canton).((fact|date=October 2018)) It moved to Hong Kong and re-emerged as the Hong Kong Dispensary from 1 January 1843 under proprietors Drs. Alexander Anderson and Peter Young, trading at Capt Morgan's Bazaar.<ref>Friend of China and Hong Kong Gazette, 5 January 1843</ref>((pageneeded|date=October 2018))<!--Also information on how to access this document!--> The company uses the date it moved to Hong Kong as its official date of establishment and does not describe its period in Guangzhou in its official account of its history; Richard Lord of the ''[[South China Morning Post]]'' stated that the company did this since one photograph is the only memorabilia and official document from its Guangzhou period.<ref name=LordWatson/> Dr Alexander Skirving Watson joined the company in 1858. In 1869, the Hong Kong Dispensary was appointed to dispense to the Governor of Hong Kong and the Duke of Edinburgh. The company began trading under the name A.S. Watson & Company in 1871.

By 1886, the company had constructed its first factory in Hong Kong, on [[Stanley Street, Hong Kong|Stanley Street]], registered as a limited company and had also completed its first expansion further into China and to the Philippines. By 1895 the company was operating 35 stores and producing 300 dispensary, toiletry and perfumery lines.

In 1903, Watsons Water was established, selling [[bottled water]] in Hong Kong and China.((fact|date=November 2019)) In a 2018 interview, chief operating officer Malina Ngai stated that free drinking water was considered to be of poor quality at the time, and therefore the company was able to establish a market for selling drinking water.<ref name=LordWatson/>

In previous eras Watsons stores sold various kinds of general merchandise, but it became specialized in the pharmacy business as time went on.<ref name=LordWatson/>

1937 saw the [[Japanese invasion of China]] and AS Watson halted all operations in China. In 1941, AS Watson celebrated its centenary just months before the Japanese attack and the [[Battle of Hong Kong|fall of Hong Kong]] in December that year. AS Watson eventually resumed business on 1 September 1945.

The Hutchison Group acquired a controlling interest in A.S. Watson & Co. Ltd. in 1963.<ref name=LordWatson/>

1972 saw AS Watson acquire the [[PARKnSHOP]] supermarkets from Y.K Lau, then in 1973 acquired Peter Pan Toy Shops and launched Mountain Cream, Ice cream products.

1981 saw [[Hutchison Whampoa Limited]] take full control of AS Watson becoming a wholly owned subsidiary. According to Ngai, the ownership gave Watsons the finances needed to expand its operations.<ref name=LordWatson/>

At the end of the 1980s, the company grew rapidly by entering Taiwan in 1987, Macau and Singapore in 1988, and re-opening in China in 1989, all under the name Watsons' The Chemist.

Fortress joined((clarify|date=April 2021)) the AS Watson Group in 1990. 1994 saw the company open a new water factory in Beijing and further expand Watsons The Chemist to Malaysia, by 1996 Watsons The Chemist had entered Thailand and in 1997 AS Watson Group had acquired Shanghai Sparkling Drinking Water. 1998 saw Fortress open its first store in Taiwan and Watson's Wine opened in Hong Kong. 1998 also saw Nuance-Watson's retail stores open at Hong Kong International Airport. AS Watson's water operations also expanded in 1998, but this time into Europe, through acquisitions. In 1999 AS Watson sold Mountain Cream, its ice cream businesses, which operated in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and southern China to the [[Unilever]] Group. At the time, Mountain Cream distributed Dreyer's in Hong Kong and China, and was the largest ice cream importer in Hong Kong.

===2000–present: International expansion===
In 2000, AS Watson entered the United Kingdom with the acquisition of Savers Health & Beauty and in 2001 expanded its wine business with the acquisition of Badaracco SA.

The year 2002 saw AS Watson expand into Europe and the UK even further with the acquisition of the Kruidvat Group, adding a number of different brands to its portfolio, including [[Superdrug]] in the UK and [[ICI Paris XL]] and [[Kruidvat]] itself in Mainland Europe.

During 2003 AS Watson signed an agreement to sell its European water operations to Nestlé, [[Superdrug]] opened its first new identity store in the [[Bull Ring, Birmingham|Bullring Shopping Centre]] in Birmingham, in the UK. There were new store openings for [[Watsons]] as the company launched its third-generation store, Watsons Water celebrated its centennial anniversary and launched its "Year of Hong Kong Creativity". Fortress launched a new identity in Hong Kong and Nuance-Watson opened duty-free stores at [[Hong Kong International Airport]].

Drogas Health and Beauty Retail Chain was acquired by AS Watson in 2004, taking the group into the Baltics, Watsons also acquired Apex Pharmacy Sdn Bhd in Malaysia. The Group purchased a 40% stake in Germany's Rossmann, adding 786 stores to the group's portfolio. TASTE food galleria launched in November 2004 and Watson's Wine launched a new concept store in Hong Kong.

In 2005 the group opened its 100th store in Mainland China and its 300th store in Taiwan. The group entered Turkey with the acquisition of Cosmo Shop and the first Watsons Health and Beauty Store opened in Korea. 2005 also saw two major acquisitions in Europe with Marionnaud and [[The Perfume Shop]]. October 2005 saw the acquisition of Spektr, launching AS Watson in the Russian Market.

2006 saw Watsons open in Indonesia and it also celebrated its 200th store opening in June. AS Watson entered the Ukraine through the acquisition of DC, and Marionnaud expanded into Asia with its first store opening in the Philippines in September.

Rossmann celebrated its 2,000th store milestone in 2009, while Watsons opened its 500th store in Mainland China. COOL [[bottled water]] was revamped and re-branded to refresh its image.

During 2010, Watsons card membership reached the 15 million mark.

2011 saw DC Ukraine re-branded as Watsons, and Watsons China opened its 1,000th store.

On 7 October 2023, the group launched a new brand identity, featuring a modernised visual identity. Emphasising  the groups heritage and trust, injecting more energy into the brand. <ref>https://www.aswatson.com/as-watson-group-refreshes-its-brand-identity/</ref>

==Temasek Holdings stake purchase and proposed share sale==
In March 2014, Hutchison Whampoa sold an almost 25 per cent stake in AS Watson to [[Temasek Holdings]], for HK$44 billion. 
  
The proposed share sale of AS Watson Group has been put in hold, announced towards the end of 2013 with the appointment of three underwriting banks, [[Bank of America Merrill Lynch]], [[Goldman Sachs]] and [[HSBC]]. This had followed the aborted sale of Park'n'Shop, when no satisfactory offer was received for the business. The flotation of the group would take place 'in two or three years' in Hong Kong and Singapore, said Li Ka-shing at the time, rather than in Hong Kong and London as had been expected.<ref name = SCMP-Temasek/><ref>((cite web|url=http://news.sky.com/story/1183663/superdrug-parent-picks-banks-for-15bn-float|title=Superdrug Parent Picks Banks For £15bn Float))</ref>

==AS Watson Group brands==
===Health and beauty===
<!-- New links in alphabetical order please -->
* Drogas (Baltic Countries)
* [[Kruidvat]] (Benelux)
* ((Interlanguage link multi|Trekpleister|nl|3=Trekpleister (drogisterij))) (Netherlands)
* Nuance-Watson
*[[Rossmann (company)|Rossmann (Germany)]]
* [[Savers (UK)]] (AS Watson (Health & Beauty UK) Ltd)
* Spektr
* [[Superdrug]] (AS Watson (Health & Beauty UK) Ltd)
* [[Watsons]]

===Perfume and cosmetics===
* [[ICI Paris XL]]
* ((Interlanguage link multi|Marionnaud Parfumeries|fr))
* [[Cosmo Shop]]
* [[The Perfume Shop]] (AS Watson (Health & Beauty UK) Ltd)

===Food, electronics and wine===
* Fortress
* Fusion
* Great Food Hall
* [[PARKnSHOP]]
* TaSTE
* [[Watson's Wine]]

===Beverages===
* Sunkist
* Mr. Juicy
* [[Watsons Water]]

==References==
((reflist))

==External links==
((Commonscatinline))
*((official website|http://www.aswatson.com/eng/html/index.html))

((CK Hutchison Holdings))

[[Category:CK Hutchison Holdings]]
[[Category:AS Watson]]

Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page (help):

A.S. Watson Group (edit)
Template:Ambox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:CK Hutchison Holdings (edit)
Template:Category handler (view source) (protected)
Template:Citation needed (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite news (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite web (view source) (protected)
Template:Clarify (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Comma separated entries (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Commons category-inline (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Commonscatinline (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Delink (view source) (protected)
Template:Fact (view source) (protected)
Template:Find sources mainspace (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Fix (view source) (protected)
Template:Fix-span (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Fix/category (view source) (protected)
Template:Hlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:If empty (view source) (protected)
Template:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox company (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Interlanguage link (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Interlanguage link multi (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Longitem (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Main other (view source) (protected)
Template:More citations needed (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Official website (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Page needed (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Pageneeded (edit)
Template:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Template:Plainlist (view source) (protected)
Template:Plainlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Refimprove (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Reflist (view source) (protected)
Template:Reflist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Template:Separated entries (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Short description (view source) (protected)
Template:Short description/lowercasecheck (view source) (protected)
Template:Sister-inline (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Start date and age (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Template other (view source) (protected)
Template:URL (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Unbulleted list (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Url (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Years or months ago (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Yesno (view source) (protected)
Module:Arguments (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/blacklist (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/shared (view source) (protected)
Module:Check for clobbered parameters (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Check for unknown parameters (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1 (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/COinS (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Date validation (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Whitelist (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Commons link (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:DecodeEncode (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Delink (view source) (protected)
Module:Disambiguation/templates (view source) (protected)
Module:Find sources (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/config (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/links (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/templates/Find sources mainspace (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:If empty (view source) (protected)
Module:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Infobox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:InfoboxImage (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:List (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/ambox.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/configuration (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Official website (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/disambiguation (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/rfd (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Pagetype/setindex (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/softredirect (view source) (protected)
Module:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Module:Separated entries (view source) (protected)
Module:String (view source) (protected)
Module:TableTools (view source) (protected)
Module:URL (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Unsubst (view source) (protected)
Module:WikidataIB (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WikidataIB/nolinks (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WikidataIB/titleformats (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Wikitext Parsing (view source) (protected)
Module:Yesno (view source) (protected)

Return to A.S. Watson Group.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.S._Watson_Group"