Boots (Retail Buying) Hong Kong Ltd is responsible for the Far East Sourcing for Alliance Boots. Alliance Boots is an international pharmacy-led health and beauty group. The health and beauty group comprises: Approximately 3, 000 retail outlets (including associates) - of which approximately 2, 700 will have a pharmacy; a wholesale network of over 380 depots (including associates) serving over 125, 000 outlets. The Boot family began trading in 1849, selling herbal remedies from a small store in Goose Gate, Nottingham. More recent decades saw the introduction of brands such as 17 cosmetics and new business ventures such as Boots Opticians. At the date of the merger with Alliance UniChem, Boots was the UK's leading health and beauty retailer, with the largest share of the OTC market, and it also sold Boots brand products through an international business in 14 countries.