Watsons
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedAn international health and beauty retailer operating drugstores, pharmacies, and personal-care stores across Asia and Europe.
Last updated August 31, 2026
Overview
Watsons is the flagship health and beauty retail brand of A.S. Watson Group, the retail division of CK Hutchison Holdings. The chain operates drugstores, pharmacies, health-and-beauty shops, and related digital commerce services across Asian and European markets. Its assortment typically combines over-the-counter medicines, pharmacy products, vitamins and supplements, skincare, cosmetics, toiletries, household personal-care products, and selected wellness services. The format is generally positioned between a pharmacy and a mass-market beauty retailer: stores provide accessible health products while also carrying a broad range of branded and private-label cosmetics and personal-care merchandise. The business traces its history to medical and pharmacy operations in Macau and Hong Kong during the nineteenth century. Thomas Boswell Watson, a Scottish physician, established a private practice in Macau in 1845 and later moved to Hong Kong. After a series of management changes and leases involving the Hong Kong Dispensary, the name A.S. Watson became associated with the business during the 1860s and 1870s. The company traded as A.S. Watson & Company and became known through its retail outlets as Watsons the Chemist. Its early customer base included soldiers, sailors, and other residents seeking medicines and dispensary services. The modern corporate development of the brand began when Hutchison acquired a controlling interest in A.S. Watson & Co. in 1963. The company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa in 1981, when the retail network numbered about 75 outlets. During the late 1980s and 1990s, Watsons developed from a Hong Kong-centered chemist chain into a regional retail platform. Stores opened in Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, mainland China, Malaysia, and Thailand. The brand later returned to the Philippines, entered Indonesia in 2006, and opened in Japan in 2008. Expansion continued through a combination of directly operated businesses, local partnerships, and franchising. Watsons entered Vietnam by 2019, bringing the reported number of operating markets to 13 at that time. In 2020, A.S. Watson Group and Al-Futtaim signed a franchise agreement covering the Gulf region, followed by the opening of a flagship store at The Dubai Mall. The chain subsequently operated in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, while also maintaining a presence in Turkey and Ukraine. By the early 2020s, Watsons reported approximately 8,000 stores and more than 1,500 pharmacies across its Asian and European network. The exact market count varies by reporting date and by whether territories and franchise operations are counted separately. South Korea was an exception to the broader expansion story: the local business closed in 2021. In 2024, Watsons marked the opening of its 8,000th store at SM Mall of Asia in the Philippines. On 7 January 2025, the company reopened its Singapore flagship at Ngee Ann City after a renovation. The brand remains active, with its physical stores supported by loyalty programs, online retail, private-label products, beauty services, pharmacy-related offerings, and localized assortments.
History
Watsons developed from nineteenth-century medical and dispensary businesses in Macau and Hong Kong. Thomas Boswell Watson, a Scottish doctor, established a private practice in Macau in 1845. He moved to Hong Kong in 1856 and became associated with the Hong Kong Dispensary, an offshoot of the Canton Dispensary. The business served soldiers, sailors, and local residents and was widely known as the Big Medicine Shop. Following management changes in the late 1850s and the death of Thomas Watson in 1860, the dispensary was leased to A.S. Watson and other doctors. The A.S. Watson name became prominent during the 1860s, and the business was later operated under the name A.S. Watson & Company after the Watson family leased it to John David Humphreys and Arthur Hunt in 1871. The company expanded to China and the Philippines in 1883 but withdrew from both markets in 1910. Its retail outlets were commonly associated with the name Watsons the Chemist. Hutchison acquired a controlling interest in A.S. Watson & Co. in 1963. The company became wholly owned by Hutchison Whampoa in 1981, at which point it had approximately 75 outlets. This ownership transition provided the foundation for the subsequent transformation of Watsons from a Hong Kong pharmacy chain into a multi-market health and beauty retailer. The first modern Watsons store outside Hong Kong opened in Macau in May 1987. The company also entered Taiwan in September 1987 and Singapore in April 1988. Its first mainland Chinese store opened in Beijing in April 1989 at the Palace Hotel. The early Beijing shop imported its products from Hong Kong and initially operated under foreign-exchange-certificate restrictions, reflecting the commercial environment of the period. During the 1990s, Watsons expanded into Malaysia and Thailand. The brand returned to the Philippines in 2002 after its earlier withdrawal and opened its first Indonesian shop in Jakarta in January 2006. Japan followed in November 2008. By 2019, Watsons had expanded into Vietnam and reported approximately 7,800 stores. The Gulf-region partnership with Al-Futtaim in 2020 extended the brand through franchise development, beginning with a Dubai flagship in October of that year. Watsons continued to grow its store network across Asia and Europe during the 2020s. Reports described approximately 8,000 stores and more than 1,500 pharmacies across the network, although market totals vary according to the reporting date and classification of territories and franchises. The South Korean operation closed in 2021. In 2024, the company opened its 8,000th store at SM Mall of Asia in the Philippines. In January 2025, it reopened its renovated Singapore flagship at Ngee Ann City. Today, Watsons combines physical retail, pharmacy operations, beauty and wellness merchandising, private-label products, loyalty programs, and digital commerce under the A.S. Watson Group.
- 2025
Singapore flagship reopens after renovation
[1]The Ngee Ann City flagship reopened on 7 January after a revamp.
- 2024
8,000th store opens in the Philippines
[1]Watsons opened its 8,000th store at SM Mall of Asia.
- 2021
South Korean operation closes
[1]Watsons ended its South Korean retail operation.
- 2019
Reported store network reaches 7,800 locations
[1]Watsons reported approximately 7,800 stores and expansion into Vietnam.
- 2008
Watsons enters Japan
[1]The first Japanese store opened in Tokyo on 14 November.
- 2006
Watsons enters Indonesia
[1]The first Indonesian store opened in Jakarta on 13 January.
- 1994
Watsons enters Malaysia
[1]The brand opened its first Malaysian personal-care stores.
- 1989
Watsons opens its first mainland China store
[1]The first mainland Chinese location opened at Beijing's Palace Hotel.
- 1988
Watsons enters Singapore
[1]The first Singapore store opened on 29 April.
- 1987
Regional expansion begins in Macau and Taiwan
[1]Modern Watsons stores opened in Macau in May and Taiwan in September.
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Products and positioning
Accessible, mass-market health and beauty retail combining pharmacy convenience, wellness products, cosmetics, personal care, and private-label merchandise.
Pharmacy and health retail
Watsons pharmacies
Pharmacy-led stores provide medicines and health products, subject to local regulation, alongside everyday wellness and personal-care merchandise. The pharmacy component connects Watsons to its historical chemist-shop identity while the contemporary format also supports broader health-and-beauty shopping.
Specialty retail
Watsons health and beauty stores
The core store format combines skincare, cosmetics, toiletries, haircare, vitamins, supplements, over-the-counter products, and personal hygiene goods. Assortments are adapted to local consumer preferences and regulations across Asian and European markets.
Private label
Watsons private-label products
Watsons sells own-brand products across selected health, beauty, skincare, household, and personal-care categories. Private-label merchandise supports price accessibility and gives the retailer differentiated products alongside national and international brands.
Brand decisions
2024
Mark the 8,000-store network milestoneOtherBackground
Watsons continued its multi-market store expansion and reached a reported network milestone.
Action taken
The company opened its 8,000th store at SM Mall of Asia in the Philippines.
Aftermath
The opening highlighted the Philippines as an important market in Watsons' regional retail network.
2020
Use Gulf-region franchising to extend the Watsons networkStrategyBackground
A.S. Watson Group sought to establish the Watsons health and beauty format in Gulf markets through a local commercial partner.
Action taken
A.S. Watson Group signed a franchise agreement with Al-Futtaim, followed by the opening of a flagship store at The Dubai Mall.
Aftermath
The agreement extended Watsons into the United Arab Emirates and supported subsequent operations in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Recent events
- 2025
Watsons reopens renovated Singapore flagship[1]
Other
Watsons reopened its Singapore flagship at Ngee Ann City on 7 January after a store revamp.
- 2024
Watsons opens its 8,000th store in the Philippines[1]
Other
Watsons opened its 8,000th store at SM Mall of Asia, marking a major scale milestone for the international health and beauty retail network.
- 2020
Watsons signs Gulf-region franchise agreement[1]
M&A
A.S. Watson Group and Al-Futtaim agreed to develop Watsons healthcare and beauty stores in the Gulf region.
- 2020
Watsons opens first Dubai flagship store[1]
Other
Following the Gulf franchise agreement, Watsons opened its first flagship location at The Dubai Mall in October.
- 2019
Watsons expands into Vietnam[1]
Other
The brand entered Vietnam as part of its continued expansion in Asian health and beauty retail, bringing its reported operating-market total to 13 at the time.
Watsons expands its omnichannel health and beauty retail model[3]
Other
A.S. Watson describes Watsons as a key health and beauty retail banner using stores, e-commerce, mobile applications, membership and digital services across its operating markets.
Sources6 sources
- 1Watsonsen.wikipedia.org
- 2Watsons customer websitewatsons.com
- 3Watsons expands its omnichannel health and beauty retail modelaswatson.com
- 4AS Watson opens its 3800th Watsons store in Chinainsideretail.asia
- 5Shiseido opens its world's first My Japanese Beauty pop-up store and it’s outside Takashimayasg.news.yahoo.com
- 6Watsons China launches WeChat Work and Cloud storesinsideretail.asia
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