AS Watson, the world’s largest international health and beauty retailer, celebrates its 185th anniversary – a journey from Hong Kong’s first western pharmacy to a global retail leader. This milestone also marks a major achievement in its “Give a Smile” campaign with Operation Smile: surpassing its goal of 10,000 free surgeries for children with cleft conditions ahead of schedule. AS Watson now sets a new target – 15,000 surgeries by 2030 – reaffirming its commitment to brighter futures for our next generation.
A legacy of care and purpose
Reflecting on this journey, Dr Malina Ngai, Group CEO of AS Watson, said, “As we mark 185 years, I am deeply proud of how AS Watson has grown from a single pharmacy in Hong Kong to a global leader in health and beauty retail. Our journey is defined not just by growth, but by the countless smiles we’ve helped create – for our customers, our people, and the communities we serve. I am grateful to our 130,000 colleagues, our loyal customers, and our partners for their dedication and trust. Together, we will continue to create smiles—one at a time, for everyone.”
185 years of inspiring smiles
From the very beginning, AS Watson believes that health and happiness should never be a privilege. In the early days, we offered free medicines to those in need because seeing smiles on the faces of the people we served mattered most. For 185 years, AS Watson has placed care for customers and communities at the heart of our journey, a commitment that continues to shape everything we do today.
This enduring spirit of care inspired the launch of the global “Give a Smile” campaign in 2018, supporting comprehensive cleft care to improve children’s physical and emotional well‐being. Guided by the belief that “Give 1 Smile, Create 5”, the campaign creates a ripple effect of hope and smile by uplifting not just patients, but also families, surgeons, hospitals, and community outreach.
“Every three minutes, a child is born with a cleft condition,” said Kathy Magee, Operation Smile co-founder, president and CEO. “Thanks to AS Watson, we are able to provide access to essential surgical and comprehensive cleft care for thousands of patients. With its support, we are closing the gap between where our patients live and access to the care they need. Congratulations to AS Watson on its 185th anniversary and the achievement of 10,000 smile surgeries, making a transformative impact on the lives of so many families around the world.”
Ngai added: “We sincerely thank our customers for their generous support and donations, which have made these life-changing surgeries possible. Looking ahead, AS Watson will continue to raise funds, donate, and actively involve our customers in supporting children with cleft lips – ensuring we create even more smiles together.”
Learn more about AS Watson’s 185-year journey of growth at https://185-anniversary.aswatson.com/ .
