A portrait of one of Boots’ 19th century bosses is available to view after an unveiling at the National Portrait Gallery, Boots announced last week (November 26).

The portrait of Florence Boot was unveiled at a private event held at the London gallery last week (November 26) by Boots and Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA). It was previously hung at Boots head office in Lenton House, Nottingham.

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Boots archivist Sophie Clapp spoke at the event and said she hoped the portrait would “inspire new audiences unfamiliar with her story” as “without her, the Boots that we know today, would never have existed”.

“Florence’s portrait, which we believe was painted to mark her promotion to the board of directors in 1917, has long-been on display at Lenton House in Nottingham. 

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“It was prominently hung in the boardroom, where her image motivated and perhaps kept an eye on those working there,” Clapp said. 

Descendants of Florence Boot, WBA executive chairman Stefano Pessina, Boots executive team members as well as brand partners and representatives from the retail and beauty industry attended the event, as the multiple reaches its 175th anniversary. 

“Brought beauty to Boots” 

Florence Boot partnered with her husband Jesse Boot to run Boots after getting married together in 1886, and she transformed Boots’ retail offering by selling “toiletries, perfume, and other products for women”, the multiple said.

She advocated for employee welfare, particularly promoting this for female team members, as WBA international chief operating officer Ornella Barra said at the event she was “ahead of her times”.

“Florence has been a phenomenal, inspirational, example for businesswomen. The importance of combining health and beauty – an idea common today – was truly revolutionary a century ago,” she added. 

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Boots managing director Anthony Hemmerdinger also spoke at the event and said Florence Boot was “the woman who brought beauty to Boots”. 

“Most of us know the story of Jesse Boot – son of founder John Boot who expanded the business into Britain’s biggest pharmacy chain, or Boots Cash Chemists. 

“Fewer people know the extraordinary story of his wife and business partner, Florence. Her role is of equal importance to her husband’s in the creation of Boots as you know us today. 

“She introduced new retail concepts and formats to our stores, starting with the first Boots department store in Nottingham’s Pelham Street. Her ambition extended to beauty counters, in-store cafés and even lending libraries. 

“What inspires me so much about Florence is her relentless focus on the in-store customer experience, which stays with us today as we continue to introduce new health and beauty concepts and products that our customers will love,” Hemmerdinger said. 

Platforming women 

Details of Florence Boot’s legacy were shared by archivist Clapp, mentioning her humble beginnings working in her father’s book and stationery shop before marrying Jesse Boot and starting a family together. 

After convincing her husband not to sell Boots due to his “ill-health”, she helped diversify Boots’ products initially by putting toiletry items into a “dedicated beauty department” that made them “visible, affordable, respectable and desirable”. 

“Beauty items were generally a hidden secret, kept under counters in accordance with the social sensibilities of the day, when wearing cosmetics was frowned upon,” Clapp said. 

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“Florence also sought to raise the status of retail work for women – which was largely regarded as unsuitable employment for them. She publicly supported the right of women to seek independence, earn their own money and to have an outlet for their creativity.   

“Florence put her words into action and employed women as university graduates, nurses, pharmacists, librarians, and café managers – giving them roles of responsibility several years before only some women were given the right to vote. 

“Most of the thousands of women that worked for Boot were in the factories, warehouses and offices in Nottingham. Florence felt a personal responsibility to ensure their physical and moral wellbeing.  

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“At a time when state welfare was non-existent, Florence introduced initiatives which provided holistic care, creating opportunities for them to travel, learn new skills and socialise with each other.  

“She generously donated to local causes such as social housing, she gifted green, outdoor community spaces for sport and recreation, supported the arts and funded the first hall of residence for women at the University of Nottingham – a facility which still bears her name today.” 

Clapp added that her “progressive social values belonged much more to the 20th century” compared to her Victorian upbringing, and “her contribution to Boots and the communities in which she lived can still be felt”. 

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Last week, Boots signed a letter to the Chancellor stating that the “sheer scale of new costs” introduced by the budget – including a rise in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) and the national living wage – will “make job losses inevitable”. 

And earlier this month, 96% of Boots Pharmacists’ Association (BPA) members who voted in the ballot are in favour of a merger with the PDA, with the results lodged with the trade union regulator so a transfer can happen on January 1, 2025.