LANDMARK CASE

Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v. Boots

[1953] 1 QB 401 · Court of Appeal (UK) · Contract law

At a glance

Citation: [1953] 1 QB 401
Court: Court of Appeal (UK)
Area of law: Contract law
In one line: An invitation to treat. The customer makes the offer at the till.

1 Facts

Medicines were displayed on self service shelves, with a pharmacist at the till.

2 Issue

Is the display an offer or an invitation to treat?

3 What the court decided

An invitation to treat. The customer makes the offer at the till.

4 Why it matters

A classic on invitation to treat.

5 Think about it

Does this apply to online shopping?

6 Analyse it yourself

Read the full judgment from an official source or a law database, then brief it in seven steps: facts, issues, arguments, decision, ratio, obiter and significance. Always check the citation before you rely on it.

7 More cases on Contract law

Bhagwandas Goverdhandas Kedia v. Girdharilal Parshottamdas AIR 1966 SC 543
Carlill v. Carbolic Smoke Ball Co. [1893] 1 QB 256
Central Inland Water Transport Corporation v. Brojo Nath Ganguly (1986) 3 SCC 156
Energy Watchdog v. Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (2017) 14 SCC 80
Fateh Chand v. Balkishan Dass AIR 1963 SC 1405
Felthouse v. Bindley (1862) 11 CB (NS) 869

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