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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 moreWatsons is the flagship health and beauty brand of AS Watson Group.
Know more about AS Watson's History
185th AnniversaryOur Sustainability Pillars
Must-Try Brands. Only at Watsons.
Exclusive brands. Exciting discoveries. Discover a whole world of exclusive brands, only available at Watsons.
What’s New with Watsons
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.
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#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.
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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 - Present
Watsons launched an international campaign called “The New Beautiful” to celebrate a beauty that radiated from within and does good for everyone.