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Hutchison owns the A
S Watson Group (ASW), one of the best-known retail
groups in Asia and the largest health and beauty retail
group in the world. Its retail division has a portfolio
of 19 retail brands, including some of the most famous
high street names in Europe and Asia. The A S Watson
Group operates over 7,900 outlets worldwide. Following
the acquisition of Marionnaud, the largest perfumery
and cosmetic retailer in France, the A S Watson Group
has acquired the UK-based perfumery chain The Perfume
Shop and the health & beauty chain Spektr in Russia.
In 2006, ASW has acquired DC, the largest health &
beauty retail chain in Ukraine.
A S Watson also manufactures and distributes a wide
range of water and beverage brands in Asia and Europe.
EUROPEAN INVESTMENT HIGHLIGHTS
Health and Beauty Chains | Luxury
Perfumeries and Cosmetics Retail Brands | Wine
In Europe, the A S Watson Group operates over 4,400
health and beauty outlets and over 1,600 luxury perfumeries
and cosmetics stores under 12 brands covering 24 countries.
Health and Beauty Chains
Watsons Your Personal
Store (Estonia and Slovenia)
Watsons
Your Personal Store has adapted quickly to
the varied and rapidly changing tastes within
each market, proving its ability to cross cultural
and geographic boundaries. Successful strategies
have resulted in significant market penetration
and the chain keeps expanding. Currently, Watsons
operates in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan,
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Macau,
Korea, the Philippines, Turkey, Estonia and Slovenia.
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DC (Ukraine)
DC
is the largest and the only nationwide health
and beauty retail chain in Ukraine. Established
in 1997, DC has grown quickly to the current network
of over 120 stores with 2,500 employees throughout
the country. It is operated under the format of
a convenience drugstore, offering a comprehensive
mix of personal care and toiletry products. |
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Drogas (Latvia and Lithuania)
Drogas,
acquired by A S Watson in June 2004, operates
70 stores in Latvia and has a 30 per cent share
of the Latvian market. In 2001, the company was
named "Best Retailer in Latvia" by the
leading business newspaper Dienas Bizness.
Drogas opened its first store in Lithuania in
2001. It operates over 40 stores and is one of
the fastest growing companies in the country. |
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Kruidvat (Netherlands, Belgium)
Kruidvat
is a distinct market leader in the health and
beauty sector in the Netherlands and one of the
largest health and beauty retail chains in Belgium.
Operating over 950 stores, Kruidvat is known for
its unrivalled product range which combines high
quality with highly competitive pricing. Kruidvat
is also an industry innovator in retailing fast-moving
non-cosmetic articles such as low-priced CDs,
toys, decorative household items and photo services. |
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Rossmann (Germany, Poland,
Czech Republic and Hungary)
Rossmann
was founded in 1972 by Dirk Rossmann who opened
the first health and beauty shop in Hannover,
Germany. After the borders between East and West
Europe were opened in the early 1990s, Rossmann
started the Central Europe operation in Poland
and thereafter expanded into Hungary and the Czech
Republic. To date, the chain has a store network
of over 1,800 stores. A S Watson has a joint
venture partnership with Rossmann for its operation
in four countries. |
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Savers (United Kingdom)
The Savers
chain was founded in the United Kingdom in 1988
and was acquired by A S Watson in 2000 following
its strong initial success. The chain operates
on a mega discount format accentuated with simple
store design, strong logistics and low operating
cost. Savers' focus on fast-moving toiletries
products has hit a chord within the marketplace,
spurring a significant growth in store number
over the past two years. Currently, it operates
over 240 stores in the UK. |
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Superdrug (United Kingdom
and Ireland)
Superdrug,
one of the UK's leading health and beauty retailers,
joined A S Watson in 2002.
Operating over 900 stores in
England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and
Southern Ireland, Superdrug has a high potential
of growth and is expected to surge in the coming
years. Superdrug in the UK is known as a value
retailer through a mix of unbeatable offers and
deals on a wide range of everyday essentials,
branded products and Christmas gifts.
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Trekpleister (Netherlands)
With over 130 stores, Trekpleister
has a very strong position in the Dutch market.
Trekpleister caters to the traditional health
and beauty segment and combines a friendly store
atmosphere with successful promotions. The chain's
formula for success also includes an attractive
range of general merchandise and private labels. |
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Spektr (Russia)
Spektr
Group, established in 1990, is the market-leading
health and beauty retail chain in St Petersburg,
Russia. With over 40 stores and more than 500
employees, Spektr offers a comprehensive range
of personal care, skincare, perfumery and cosmetics,
and household products of local and international
brands.
A S Watson's acquisition of
Spektr in October 2005 marks an extension of the
Group's retail network to Russia, the sixth largest
economy in the world in terms of PPP (Purchase
Power Parity).
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Luxury Perfumeries and Cosmetics Retail Brands
Marionnaud (Austria, Czech Republic, France,
Hungary, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland)
Marionnaud,
acquired by A S Watson in April 2005, is Europe's
largest perfumeries and cosmetics retailer. Its
reputation is built upon trust, which has driven
it to become the leading perfumery chain in France,
the home of fragrances, with a market share of
30 per cent. Its 1,220-plus stores stretch to
12 other countries, and it is the market leader
in 10 of them. |
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ICI PARIS XL (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg)
ICI
PARIS XL was founded in Belgium in the late
1970's. It has become a leading perfumery chain
in Belgium. ICI PARIS XL was established in the
Netherlands in late 1997, and has grown at an amazing
speed with at least one new store per month. The
brand entered Luxembourg in 2003. |
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The Perfume Shop (United Kingdom and Ireland)
Founded in 1991, The
Perfume Shop has developed a highly successful
format in the UK fragrances sector. The business
has grown consistently over the past five years,
from 55 stores to over 160.
The Perfume Shop are located in both shopping
centres and malls throughout the UK and Ireland,
and sells over 300 different fragrance brands
for men and women at affordable prices, online
and at prime shopping locations.
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Wine
Badaracco
SA in Switzerland, one of the world's leading fine
wine trading companies, is a member company of the A S
Watson Group. The Company specialises in trading prestigious
international wines.
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