Top 50 Brands
in customer experience
THE NEW BEAUTIFUL
The New Beautiful
We believe in a new kind of beautiful that’s good for everyone and all of you – mind, body and soul. Together we inspire holistic wellbeing, positivity and acts of care and kindness to ourselves, our communities and our planet.
We are Watsons
Watsons has been around since way back in 1841, helping people look good, do good and feel great. Today we’re proud to be number one for health and beauty in Asia; with over 8,000 stores and eshops in 16 different markets.
And wherever we are in the world, we’re working to make a positive impact through our sustainability pillars – Planet, People and Products.
Find out moreOur Sustainability Pillars
Must-Try Brands. Only at Watsons.
Exclusive brands. Exciting discoveries. Discover a whole world of exclusive brands, only available at Watsons.
Staying
Number 1
Number 1
Our ambition to remain Asia’s number one health and beauty retailer makes us stronger every day – and we’re proud to have received international recognition for what we do.
WATSONS ASIA
Top 50 Brands for Customer Experience Survey - No. 1 Personal Care & Beauty Retailer
Campaign Asia
WATSONS ASIA
Health & Beauty Retailer of the Year - Asia
Retail Asia Awards 2021-2023
WATSONS ASIA
Asia's Most Innovative Sustainable Retailer 2022
Inside Retail Asia
WATSONS MALAYSIA
Best Retail Partner 2022
Huawei Developer Day
*Campaign Asia's Top 50 CX Brands survey with over 9,000 respondents across 6 Asian countries.
RETAIL & MARKETING
WATSONS SINGAPORE
Omnichannel Strategy of the Year - Singapore
Retail Asia Awards 2023
WATSONS MALAYSIA
Health & Beauty Retailer of the Year - Malaysia
Retail Asia Awards 2023
WATSONS CHINA
Health & Beauty Retailer of the Year - Mainland China
Retail Asia Awards 2023
WATSONS ASIA
Award for Innovation in Cross-Media Marketing - Bronze
Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards 2023
WATSONS ASIA
Award for Innovation in Content Marketing - Bronze
Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards 2023
WATSONS ASIA
Award for Innovation in the Use of Celebrities or Public Figures - Gold
Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards 2023
WATSONS ASIA
Award for Innovation in Sponsorships - Gold
Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards 2023
WATSONS MALAYSIA
Platinum Award in Retail Category
Putra Brand Awards 2022
WATSONS MALAYSIA
Excellence in Marketing Innovation - Silver
Marketing Excellence Awards 2022
WATSONS MALAYSIA
Excellence in Media Strategy - Silver
Marketing Excellence Awards 2022
WATSONS MALAYSIA
Excellence in Advertising - Silver
Marketing Excellence Awards 2022
WATSONS MALAYSIA
Excellence in Communications /Public Relations - Gold
Marketing Excellence Awards 2022
WATSONS MALAYSIA
Best Retail Partner 2022
Huawei Developer Day 2022
WATSONS ASIA
Customer Experience of the Year - Retail
Asian Experience Awards 2022
WATSONS SINGAPORE
Health & Beauty Retailer of the Year - Singapore
Retail Asia Awards 2021-2023
WATSONS CHINA
No.1 Most Loved Local Beauty Retailer in China 2021
YiMagazine
WATSONS HONG KONG
Marketing Initiative of the Year - Hong Kong
Retail Asia Awards 2021
WATSONS SINGAPORE
Store Design of the Year (Large) - Singapore
Retail Asia Awards 2021
WATSONS PHILIPPINES
Health & Beauty Retailer of the Year - Philippines
Retail Asia Awards 2021-2023
WATSONS TAIWAN
Effie Awards Greater China 2020 - Gold Effie
WATSONS PHILIPPINES
Most Reputable Brands Fighting COVID-19 in Philippines 2020 - No.2
We Invest in People Accreditation
WATSONS INDONESIA
Top 5 Most Admired Company in Indonesia (Retail)
WATSONS TAIWAN
Top Service Awards 2019 - No.1 in Health & Beauty Store
DIGITAL& ECOMMERCE
WATSONS MALAYSIA
Digital Initiative of the Year - Malaysia
Retail Asia Awards 2023
WATSONS HONG KONG
Digital Initiative of the Year - Hong Kong
Retail Asia Awards 2023
WATSONS ASIA
Best Social Media Community Management - Bronze
Hashtag Asia Awards 2023
WATSONS ASIA
Best Social Media Campaign: Instagram - Bronze
Hashtag Asia Awards 2023
WATSONS ASIA
Best Use of Live Streaming or Virtual Events - Silver
Hashtag Asia Awards 2023
WATSONS ASIA
Best Use of Celebrity Partnerships - Silver
Hashtag Asia Awards 2023
WATSONS ASIA
Best Social Media Campaign - YouTube - Gold
Hashtag Asia Awards 2023
WATSONS ASIA
Best in eCommerce Brand - Beauty & Wellness - Bronze
Asia eCommerce Awards 2022
WATSONS ASIA
Best eCommerce Innovation - Gold
Asia eCommerce Awards 2022
WATSONS ASIA
Best eCommerce Campaign - Cross-border / Multi-market - Gold
Asia eCommerce Awards 2022
WATSONS ASIA
Best in eCommerce Brand - Healthcare & Pharma - Gold
Asia eCommerce Awards 2022
WATSONS HONG KONG
Best e-Commerce Strategies - Gold
Marketing Interactive DigiZ Awards 2022
WATSONS HONG KONG
Best e-Commerce Campaign – Silver
Marketing Interactive DigiZ Awards 2022
WATSONS HONG KONG
Best App Design – Bronze
Marketing Interactive DigiZ Awards 2022
WATSONS HONG KONG
Best Idea (Digital Solution) - Gold
MARKies Award 2021
WATSONS ASIA
eCommerce Marketplace/eRetailer of the Year
Asia eCommerce Awards 2020
WATSONS CHINA
Performance Marketing Effie Awards 2020 - Gold Effie
WATSONS THAILAND
Best #OnlyonTwitter Launch
Twitter Thailand Award 2020
WATSONS THAILAND
Best LINE TODAY in FMCG, Retail & Ecommerce
LINE Thailand Awards 2020
WATSONS ASIA
Best eCommerce Fulfilment (Gold)
Asia eCommerce Awards 2020
WATSONS ASIA
Best eCommerce Campaign: Influencers (Gold)
Asia eCommerce Awards 2020
WATSONS ASIA
Best Use of AI (Gold)
Asia eCommerce Awards 2020
WATSONS TAIWAN
Top 25 Most Influential Brand of Mobile Generation
Facebook
WATSONS MALAYSIA
Top 3 Engaging Brands
Facebook
WATSONS MALAYSIA
Top 5 Engaging Brands
Instagram
WATSONS ASIA
Award for Innovation in the Use of Social Media (Gold)
Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards 2019
WATSONS MALAYSIA
No.1 Online Shopping Site in Malaysia 2019
WATSONS PHILIPPINES
Optimal Creative Champion Award in Retail
Facebook Solutions Awards 2019
WATSONS HONG KONG
Top 10 Quality E-shop Awards 2018-2019 – Gold
OWN BRAND
WATSONS PHILIPPINES
Best Micellar Water - Dermaction Plus by Watsons Anti-Acne Cleansing Water
Cosmo Beauty Awards
WATSONS PHILIPPINES
Best Hair Tonic - Naturals by Watsons Aloe Vera Hair and Scalp Tonic
Cosmo Beauty Awards
WATSONS PHILIPPINES
Best Hair Tool - Watsons Professional Ionic Hair Straightener
Cosmo Beauty Awards
SUSTAINABILITY
WATSONS TAIWAN
Sustainability Initiative of the Year - Taiwan
Retail Asia Award 2023
WATSONS HONG KONG
Sustainability Initiative of the Year - Hong Kong
Retail Asia Award 2023
WATSONS ASIA
Asia's Most Innovative Sustainable Retailer 2022
Inside Retail Asia
WATSONS ASIA
Sustainability Initiative of the Year – Asia
Retail Asia Award 2022
WATSONS PHILIPPINES
Sustainability Initiative of the Year – Philippines
Retail Asia Award 2022-2023
WATSONS HONG KONG
CSR Initiative of the Year - Hong Kong
Retail Asia Award 2021
WATSONS HONG KONG
Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence 2020 (Shops and Retailers) - Gold
WATSONS ASIA
Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards 2019 - Award for Innovation in Community Relations/Public Service Communications (Gold)
EMPLOYER BRANDING
WATSONS HONG KONG
Manpower Developer Award 2011-2021
WATSONS ASIA
Best Companies to Work for in Asia 2015-2020
WATSONS HONG KONG
Family-Friendly Employers 2018 - Grand Awarda
We’re always ready to connect
Being closer to customers has always been the Watsons way. Today, we offer people new ways to shop, chat, share, seek advice, be entertained and discover new products. Wherever they are, we are.
Find out more
#DareToBe
At Watsons, our goal is to empower every customer to push past who they are today: challenging stereotypes, defying years, inspiring possibilities, opening opportunities.
Learn more
We’ve come
a long way
a long way
1841
The Hong Kong Dispensary, (as AS Watson was then known) opens its doors in Hong Kong and starts providing medical services to the local people.
1858
Alexander Skirving Watson, a British pharmacist, joins the company as Manager and becomes part-owner of The Hong Kong Dispensary – his name, and ours, would soon become famous.
1871
The Hong Kong Dispensary begins trading under a new name, AS Watson & Company – and the foundations of an international health and beauty retail group were laid. We are also appointed as the chemist of the Governor of Hong Kong and the Duke of Edinburgh.
1908
AS Watson expands its operations by opening retail stores called ‘Watsons the Chemist’, giving customers more opportunities to buy more health-related products, every day.
1941
AS Watson celebrates its centenary, just months before the Japanese attack on Hong Kong on 13 December.
1981
AS Watson becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa Limited (forerunner of CK Hutchison Holdings), with a total of 75 retail outlets.
1980 - 90s
Watsons the Chemist expands internationally into Taiwan, Macau and Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand.
2003
Watsons ‘Your Personal Store’ opens its first ‘third generation’ store at Pacific Place, Hong Kong – the first of its kind in Asia.
2008
Watsons launches its loyalty programme in Asia – first in Taiwan, rolling it out in Mainland China, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.
2009
Watsons becomes Asia’s No. 1 Pharmacy/ Drugstore brand (we subsequently won 12 consecutive years)
2010
Our first eCommerce sites open in Mainland China, marking the beginning of Watsons’ seamless O+O (offline plus online) strategy.
2015
eLab is established as the internal innovation hub to seize the emerging O+O opportunities.
2018
Watsons launches Member Elite VIP programme.
DataLab is setup to further build big data capabilities.
2018
G8 (8th generation) store concept is launched.
2019
Watsons connects with 10 million Facebook fans, building a strong global social network.
2019
Watsons One Pass© launches to provide cross-border shopping benefits at overseas stores.
2020
Watsons reaches 100 million loyalty members in Asia, forming a strong network of beauty and wellness lovers.
2020
Watsons celebrates the milestone of reaching 7,000 stores in the region.
2021
Watsons strengthens its commitment to social and environmental sustainability, with a new brand purpose.
2022
Watsons launched an international campaign called “The New Beautiful” to celebrate a beauty that radiated from within and does good for everyone.