Buying + Selling: Hutchings UK market updates, Cohens acquisition and Scottish market exit

What happened in the community pharmacy market last month?

Feb 18, 2026

Ben Lee

Editorial, Chemist + Druggist

Buying + Selling: Hutchings UK market updates, Cohens acquisition and Scottish market exit

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Corporate disposals were the “primary driver” in the 2025 English and Welsh property market, according to Hutchings latest pharmacy market update.

It accounted for 75% of sale instructions in England, reversing the 2024 trend where independent sellers “dominated the market”.

In Wales, corporate disposals increased ninefold and accounted for 85% of sales in 2025 by Hutchings, with 44% of buyers being independent pharmacies seeking to expand their portfolio.

Both first-time buyers and small-to-medium enterprise groups had a 28% share on completed transactions in the Welsh market.

Scotland

Contrasting to its southern neighbours, independent sellers will “dominate disposals” in Scotland this year, according to Hutchings Scottish pharmacy market update.

It said that bank lenders support “remains steady”, goodwill values will stay “robust” and lower interest rates “are improving affordability for purchasers”.

But it predicts demand will continue to “significantly outstrip supply”, and regional multiples and independent operators are driving this “strong demand” who will look to expand through corporate disposals.

Unity Trust Bank regional director Scott Hutchinson told Hutchings he had seen “significantly lower” activity from first-time buyers compared to the time of Lloyds Pharmacy disposals, but there is “a sense of positivity” in the sector despite financial challenges.

Hutchings said changes to the government-set drug tariff “eased pricing pressures to some degree” but higher operating costs and National Insurance contributions “remain a significant challenge” for the sector.

In its analysis of last year’s pharmacy market in Scotland, Hutchings’ data showed the “rebalance toward independent and locally operated pharmacies” and how this “reflects the increasing importance of personalised care, strong local relationships, and service-led models”.

In 2025, there were 571 independent (up to nine) pharmacies compared to 486 in 2021. Regional multiples (10 to 99 pharmacies) had their branch numbers increase from 163 to 232 in the same period, as national multiples (100 plus pharmacies) saw their market share decrease from 610 branches in 2021 to 446 in 2025.

Boots had the biggest share of multiples with 253 pharmacies, followed by Well with 77 and Rowlands with 74.

pomfret — Pomfret Pharmacy is one of the eight Whittle Pharmacies sold to Cohens

Whittle Pharmacies

Eight north west England pharmacies have been bought by a large independent chain.

Cohens Chemist, who own over 200 branches in the UK, will refurbish and rebrand the eight pharmacies it bought from Whittle Pharmacies in Bolton, Preston, Lytham and Chorley that dispense a combined 65,000 items per month.

Whittle’s owners were brother-sister duo Umesh and Vil Patel who ran the group for 27 years and now they will retire.

The pair said they “made our parents proud” and will “keep the greatest memories and friendships” after they had wanted to have an early retirement.

Christie & Co pharmacy director Jon Booth said he had started working with Whittle in the summer of 2024 and had received offers from 30 parties for both individual and sub-group plans.

“It demonstrates that the north west market remains robust and is highly competitive for buyers, whether they are first-time buyers or established operators,” he said.

Clear Pharmacy – Forres

A medium independent pharmacy chain has exited the Scottish market after selling two branches in the same town.

Clear Pharmacy has sold two pharmacies in Forres, Morayshire, to the Right Medicine Pharmacy chain who now own 45 pharmacies across Scotland.

Both of the pharmacies dispense a combined average of 13,500 NHS items per month, and now Clear Pharmacy own 40 pharmacies across England, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man after the sale.

Right Medicine Pharmacy owner Mike Embrey said he’s looking forward to working with the “fantastic team” in each pharmacy as it looks to “grow the business”.

Christe & Co pharmacy director Karl Clezy said Right Medicine Pharmacy is the “ideal buyer” as it owns pharmacies in nearby Lossiemouth and Llanbryde and “likes to acquire pharmacies in small towns like Forres”.

MSN Pharmacy Group

A pharmacy group has expanded their portfolio with five acquisitions in Shropshire and Telford.

MSN Pharmacy Group bought Anstice Pharmacy, Priorslee Pharmacy, Bishops Castle Pharmacy, Cleobury Mortimer Pharmacy and Radbrook Pharmacy to “strengthen our footprint” in the area.

It released a statement saying: “This has been a long and challenging process. We want to thank the pharmacy teams on the ground. At times it would have been easy to lose hope, but they carried on, continuing to support patients and keep services running throughout.”

Northwood Pharmacy

A village pharmacy has been sold to allow a group to focus on higher volume pharmacies.

Northwood Pharmacy in Chasetown, south Staffordshire, dispenses an average of 9,300 items per month and its previous owners Northwood Dispensing Chemist Ltd decided to sell to focus on its six other branches and growing larger volume pharmacies.

First-time buyer Nimesh Vansia bought the pharmacy, with the sale agreed in a week after the initial buyer had a change of heart and it was re-offered to other bidders.

Christe & Co said Staffordshire has had a “flurry of sales” in the last 12 months and more will follow soon, adding “anyone considering a sale in the near future will be met with strong buyer appetite”.

Holmes Pharmacy

A husband-wife team have sold their high-volume dispensing Cheshire village pharmacy as they look towards retiring.

Holmes Pharmacy in Kelsall dispenses around 11,000 items per month and its previous owners Kam Lung Kenny Ng and Ka-Wing Catherine Chan hope to spend more tie with their family.

Hutchings senior pharmacy consultant Matteo Mazza said there was strong demand in the region and it took jut three weeks before a first-time buyer secured Holmes Pharmacy.

“It generated strong interest and resulted in offers in excess of the asking price within a short timeframe, reflecting the ongoing strength of demand for village pharmacies not only locally, but across the country,” he added.

Saydon Pharmacy and My Local Chemist – Hay Mills

Two south east Birmingham pharmacies have been sold by an operator so it can re-focus on larger volume pharmacies.

My Local Chemist – Hay Mills was owned by Great Wood Pharmacy Limited for over a decade and was bought by Stag Chemists.

It’s located next to a health centre and dispenses an average of 2,500 items per month. It now owns six pharmacies across Birmingham.

Small Heath’s Saydon Pharmacy dispenses 4,000 items per month on average and has been bought by first-time buyer Sardar Shabir of Spring Hill Pharma Ltd.

Hednesford Pharmacy

A small West Midlands operator has bought a high-volume dispensing pharmacy in south Staffordshire.

Having no pharmacies only two and a half years ago, the Riaar family now own five pharmacies including the addition of Hednesford Pharmacy to its portfolio, which dispenses an average of 12,000 items per month.

Hednesford Pharmacy’s previous owner Balbir Ram sold to enable semi-retirement.

Burnopfield Pharmacy

A north east group has sold a village pharmacy to first-time buyers.

Farah Chemists sold Burnopfield Pharmacy to focus on the five pharmacies it has in Newcastle, with this sale marking their third and final one they have sold off in County Durham.

Burnopfield Pharmacy sits in a busy health centre in Derwentside and dispenses an average of 9,785 NHS items per month, and its new owners are first-time buyers Ali Avaei and Saba Moazzen.

Christie & Co pharmacy director Karl Clezy said there is “strong demand from new entants to the market across the north east of England” and there is currently “a shortage of pharmacies on the market in the area to meet such demand”.

Oakenshaw Pharmacy

A low-volume dispensing Bradford pharmacy has been bought by a local operator.

Shaiyan Wirasat of SIW Corporation Limited, who owns Ramzy’s Pharmacy in Halifax and Bingley, bought Oakenshaw Pharmacy from Day – Night Pharmacy Limited who sold following a strategic review of its portfolio.

The end-of-terrace property off the M606 and M62 where the pharmacy is located dispenses 2,616 items on average per month and Christe & Co said it was a quick sale after multiple offers were received in the first two weeks it was on the market.

Niva Pharmacy

A 120-year-old Leicester pharmacy has been sold to a first-time buyer.

Niva Pharmacy was owned by Varsha Karia for over 30 years and she will now retire, with Mohamed Fares Abdul Gabbar taking over the pharmacy which dispenses an average of 4,769 items per month.

Christie & Co said demand for pharmacies from first-time buyers and small group operators in the East Midlands remains “high”.

MX Pharmacy

A former 100-hours Preston pharmacy has been bought by three partners.

MX Pharmacy was established in 2009 and after two relocations, it’s now a standard hours pharmacy dispensing a high 16,700 items per month on average.

Its previous owners Yasar Hussain and Anil Chauhan said deciding to sell was a “difficult decision” but they both wanted to “go out on a high”. Hussain is taking a career break and Chauhan will retire.

MX Pharmacy has been purchased by Sudhir Goli, Muninder Adavelly and Naresh Garlapati, a group of three partners with Goli already owning a pharmacy business in Greater Manchester.

Adavelly said “MX ticked all of the boxes” and Christie & Co pharmacy director Jon Booth said “operations of this quality are rare in the market”, reflected by two parties offering in excess of the guide price.

“It was an exciting challenge to take on at a point in the market when appetite for these higher tariff sites was only just showing signs of improvement,” he added.

Holmes Pharmacy, Clear Pharmacy, My Local Chemist – Hay Mills, Whittle Pharmacies, Niva Pharmacy, Northwood Pharmacy, Oakenshaw Pharmacy, Saydon Pharmacy, MX Pharmacy, Hednesford Pharmacy, Burnopfield Pharmacy and were sold for undisclosed prices.

Ben Lee

Editorial, Chemist + Druggist