Dr. Scholl's is a footwear and orthopedic foot care brand originating in the United States, marketed in some countries as simply "Scholl". Since 2021, global rights to the brand have been owned by investment firm Yellow Wood Partners through subsidiary Scholl's Wellness Company, having purchased the North American rights from Bayer in North America in 2019, and the international rights from Reckitt in 2021.
 | |
| Product type | Foot Care Products |
|---|---|
| Owner | Scholl’s Wellness Company LLC |
| Country | Chicago, United States |
| Introduced | 1906 |
| Markets | United States and Canada |
| Previous owners |
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| Website | www |
History
editPodiatrist William Mathias Scholl started the brand in 1906.[1] He is credited with designing over 1,000 foot care products.[2] Scholl's company was named to the Fortune 500 in 1971, the same year it went public.[2][3]
Dr. Scholl's brand
editSchering-Plough bought the Dr. Scholl's brand in 1979.[3] In 2009, Merck & Co. purchased the Dr. Scholl's brand as part of its acquisition of Schering-Plough.[4] Under Merck & Co., Schering-Plough imported the product line from China[5] and had a North American distribution agreement for footwear with the Brown Shoe Company (now Caleres). Bayer bought Dr. Scholl's in 2014 as part of its acquisition of Merck & Co's consumer health unit.[6][7] This acquisition gave them the rights to the business in North and South America.[8]
In July 2019, Bayer sold Dr. Scholl's to Yellow Wood Partners for $585 million. Yellow Wood established a new company, Scholl's Wellness Company to run the brand.[6]
Scholl brand
editIn 1984, Schering-Plough sold the global brand and non-North American operations to European Home Products (later SSL International), who manufactured and distributed footwear and foot care products under the Scholl brand.[9]
In 2010, Reckitt Benckiser Group purchased the Scholl brand from SSL International.[10] In 2014, Aurelius, a German private equity firm, purchased the international rights to Scholl Footwear from Reckitt Benckiser, excluding the Americas.[8][11]
In June 2021, Reckitt sold Scholl, including the Amope brand, to Yellow Wood Partners, bringing both the Scholl and Dr. Scholl's businesses together for the first time in over 40 years.[12]
References
edit- ^ Newman, Andrew Adam (2010-03-31). "Dr. Scholl's Expands Its Insole Campaign". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
- ^ a b Potempa, Philip. "Dr. Scholl's has left a footprint in Northwest Indiana". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- ^ a b Honan, William H. (2002-03-23). "William Scholl, 81, Designer Of a Sandal That Set a Trend". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
- ^ Singer, Natasha (2009-03-09). "Merck to Buy Schering-Plough for $41 Billion". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2013-01-17. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
- ^ Gardiner Harris. "As Blockbuster Claritin Goes Generic, Schering-Plough Pushes a Close Sibling". Retrieved 22 March 2002.
- ^ a b Rizvic, Veneta (23 July 2019). "Bayer agrees to sells its Dr. Scholl's Business". St. Louis Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
- ^ "Bayer closes acquisition of consumer care business of Merck & Co., Inc., United States, for USD 14.2 billion" (press release). Leverkusen: Bayer. 2014-10-01. Archived from the original on 2014-10-08.
- ^ a b "Aurelius buys Scholl shoe business from Reckitt Benckiser". Reuters. 2014-07-21. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
- ^ "COMPANY NEWS; Schering to Sell Foreign Assets". The New York Times. Reuters. 1987-06-27. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2015-05-24. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
- ^ Chaudhuri, Saabira (2018-04-20). "Failed Foot-Care Gadget Trips Up Reckitt". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2019-08-28. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
- ^ "AURELIUS Group to acquire Scholl's footwear division from Reckitt Benckiser Group plc" (Press release). Aurelius AG. 2014-07-21. Archived from the original on 2014-09-08.
- ^ "Reckitt announces closing of sale of Scholl | reckitt.com". www.reckitt.com. Retrieved 2024-10-18.