Boots Launching Online Marketplace as Part of Digital Transformation

Boots is set to debut an online marketplace next year that will let third-party brands sell their wares through the Walgreens-owned U.K. health and beauty retailer as it undergoes a “digital transformation.”

According to a Tuesday (Sept. 6) news release, Boots Marketplace is scheduled to launch in the spring of 2023. The offering will allow brands to list their products on the company website, giving them access to millions of visitors each month.

“The new offering is part of Boots’ ongoing digital strategy to rapidly extend the range of the UK’s most visited health and beauty website and explore new and diverse categories for its customers,” the company said.

Boots also noted its marketplace products will be integrated with the existing product range on its website, giving customers access to hundreds of new brands from both established names and newer sellers.

The marketplace is powered by the Software-as-a-Service platform Mirakl, and customers can still access shop-specific benefits like Boots Advantage Card points. Brands, meanwhile, can benefit from Boots’ reputation and the possibility of future store listings, the company said.

“Since 2020, Boots has launched around 70 new and cult beauty brands, including Elemis, which landed in 10 stores and on boots.com last week, as well as smaller up-and-coming brands,” Boots said in the release. “Marketplace will give customers access to even more brands and products and give suppliers of all sizes an opportunity to reach Boots customers.”

Boots was nearly put up for sale earlier this year — along with No7 cosmetics — in a deal that was reportedly worth as much as $7.5 billion before Walgreens decided to retain ownership.

Read more: Walgreens’ Transformation Will Include Boots … For Now

In June, Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Rosalind Brewer said it was in the best interests of shareholders to focus on furthering growth and profitability at the businesses, which she said had shown strong growth in the face of challenging economic conditions.

“Since launching the process, the global financial markets have suffered unexpected and dramatic change,” the company said at the time. “As a result of market instability severely impacting financing availability, no third party has been able to make an offer that adequately reflects the high potential value of Boots and No7 Beauty Company.”

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