Millets, the outdoor retail specialist, has maintained a strong presence on the British High Street for over 100 years.
Recently I began to dig into Millets’ company history for my forthcoming book on chain stores. Before long I had stumbled across numerous different inter-connected Millet or Millett businesses and disappeared – for a great deal longer than I intended – down the proverbial rabbit hole.
Much remains mysterious, but I have reached the conclusion that the Millet family must have set up a syndicate that sourced and supplied merchandise for multiple family firms – multiple multiples – all of which specialised in government surplus after 1918 before moving into motoring gear, camping equipment and, eventually, casual outdoor clothing.
This approach was not unique. At least two other Jewish families in the men’s clothing trade created national retail chains in just this manner – as family syndicates that shared buying, wholesaling (and sometimes also manufacturing) facilities – in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Beginnings
Modern Millets is rooted in businesses founded by the sons of Sharje Millet (born 1830): Max, Morris, Peter, Zalek and Charles. The brothers left their home in Dabrowa, in modern Poland, to settle in Portsmouth and Southampton in the 1880s and 1890s. They started out as pedlars or hawkers but eventually opened shops as drapers or outfitters. In the hands of their descendants, many of these single outlets sprouted branches and became successful multiples trading under the Millet or Millett fascia. The family’s big opportunity came in the aftermath of the Great War, when they won government contracts to retail army surplus.
Bristol Millets
The company sometimes referred to as ‘Bristol Millets’ originated in 1893 when Israel Marcus ‘Max’ Millet (1867-1949) opened an outfitter’s shop in Southampton as J. M. Millet & Sons. In 1919 he was selling army surplus as ‘government clothing contractors’. His son-in law, Bernard Spielman, opened a Bristol branch under the J. M. Millet & Sons name in 1921 and steadily developed a chain, with five shops by 1939. As well as army surplus, he sold motoring clothing and, by the mid-1930s, ‘camping requisites’. In 1970 an ill-fated merger was announced with a similar family business, R. & A. Millett of Twickenham, or ‘London Milletts’.
London Milletts
The roots of ‘London Milletts’ can be traced back to Morris Millett (1879-1937), who opened premises — his third branch — in Croydon in 1926. The painted yellow and blue signage of Milletts can still be seen on the side of Morris’s shop.
There were eight men’s outfitter’s shops by 1948, when Morris’s son, Alan C. Millett (1928-2016), joined the firm. This expanded to 19 shops, but in 1961 Alan struck out on his own as A. C. Millett & Co. with a menswear shop in Richmond. He had 33 shops (including 13 acquired in 1962 from E. G. Millett & Co.) by 1964 and 83 shops (including 50 from G. H. Lavey & Co Ltd.) by 1966, when he was joined by his brother Robert and formed R. & A. Millett (Shops) Ltd.
The E. G. Millett & Co. taken over in 1962 appears to have been a London-based firm with branches in Exeter and Norwich by 1926. Like other family firms, it sold government surplus. The manager was Gabriel Fierstone (1902-1980), the husband of Eva Millett (1893-1948), a daughter of Peter Millett. The E and G in the name may, therefore, have referred to Eva and Gabriel.
Leicester Milletts
Shortly before contemplating merger with ‘Bristol Millets’ in 1970, R. & A. Millett Ltd. had been interested in buying yet another family concern – Milletts Stores (1928) Ltd., known as ‘Leicester Milletts’ – but this was snapped up and absorbed by Black & Edgington.
Milletts Stores (1928) Ltd. had floated in 1928 to acquire and expand the existing businesses of J. E. Millett & Co. and Milletts Stores Ltd. whose 27 shops – scattered throughout the country from Aberdeen to Plymouth – specialised, as usual, in army surplus. ‘J. E.’ may have been Peter Millet’s daughters Jessie (1888-1966) and Eva, who were joined in business after the Great War by their sister Florence (b.1890) and her husband and first cousin, Michael ‘Mickey’ Millett (1890-1966), a son of Zalek Millett (1863-1930). Milletts Stores appears to have been started by Zalek himself. Mickey ran Milletts Stores with his cousin Isaac Moses ‘Denis’ Millett (1899-1966).
Like their relations elsewhere, Mickey and Denis sold army surplus and moved into camping goods. In 1966 Anthony D. Millett (1936-1985), Denis’s son, became chairman and tried to modernise the company image. By 1969, when the 27 shops were refurbished with a black and orange colour scheme and the slogan ‘the good sense store’, the emphasis had shifted away from army surplus to jeans and camping.
1970-Present
It was to the chagrin of ‘London Milletts’ that Black & Edgington bought ‘Leicester Milletts’ for £1.3 million in 1970. Its property was subsequently valued – conservatively – at £1.5 million, and four key city-centre sites (including the famous 25 Church Street, Liverpool, where Woolworth’s started trading in 1909) were sold on the open market, raising £1 million. Having brokered this excellent deal, Black & Edgington launched Blacks Outdoor Stores, starting in Leeds, Birmingham and Liverpool. Blacks went on to take over Greenfield Milletts in 1985.
Greenfield Milletts Ltd. was run by the Greenfield family, who had probably married into the Milletts. When the company floated in 1970, it was already trading as ‘Milletts’, apparently catering for younger customers by ‘selling a range of casual, leisure and protective clothing as well as camping equipment’. Its slogan was ‘The Store for All Seasons’, and its trademark was, reportedly, overfilled windows. It expanded as a chain from 17 shops in 1971 to 37 in 1975 and 51 by 1978, when it planned expansion into Scotland. The only blot on the company’s reputation was its purchase of the luxurious houses of its joint managing directors, John and David Greenfield: following a Sunday Times report, this was referred to in a House of Commons debate as ‘a racket’.
When ‘Bristol Millets’ and ‘London Milletts’ failed to reach agreement in 1970, they continued their separate trajectories. There were 17 branches of Millets of Bristol (Holdings) Ltd. – as J. M. Millet & Sons had become – by 1982, when it was acquired by Foster Brothers. In 1985 Foster Brothers was bought by Sears, who disposed of it – keeping Millets – in 1992.
In the Sears stable, Millets was united with by the former ‘London Milletts’, with which it had so nearly merged in 1970. This had 84 branches by 1971, specialising in jeans and camping gear. It moved from Twickenham to new headquarters in Northampton in 1973 and floated as a public company, Milletts Leisure Shops plc, in 1978. In the same year it set up Milletts Shops Scotland with Black & Edgington, taking full ownership in 1984. Also in 1984, it acquired Wakefield Stores. Sears snapped it up in 1986 when Alan Millett retired.
After 1986, within Sears, the Millet chain of 64 shops merged with Milletts’ 122 shops to form Millets Leisure Ltd. In 1996, following a management buyout – a rather predictable course of events within Sears at this time – Millets Leisure became The Outdoor Group, with around 158 stores. It had grown to 195 stores by 1999, when it was acquired by Blacks Leisure plc (which already had a chain of 221 shops, including 43 Blacks Outdoor stores). JD Sports bought Blacks Leisure, including Millets, in 2012.
Today Millets remains one of the UKs main retailers of outdoor clothing, footwear and equipment. Its 90 or so shops have recently had a revamp – the old bright blue and yellow fascias have been replaced in grey and white, with a bright green arrow logo.
If anyone can shed further light on Millets or Milletts stores, and how the various companies were coordinated, please leave a comment below!
All photographs c. K. A. Morrison
Building Our Past 
Happy to correct smal errors. You have the main facts. As the CEO of Milletts Leisure Shops plc t acquired by Sears, and a consummate ‘family man’ I am probably the last living memory bank of this amazing retail story.
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Thank so much for commenting – what a family history you have! Please point out any errors and I will correct them. And please explain where Greenfield Milletts fits in! Am I right in thinking there was centralised wholesaling from c.1919? So glad to hear from you!
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I’m going to tell you a story about my grandfather Jacob Greenfield, brother to Dick and brother in law to Merium. Forgive me if I spelled it wrong. Jack was a milliner, mom was a war bride and married Forrest Hamilton. He spent 30 years in the Air Force. My mom was Joan Golda, her sister was Doris, brother was Henry. I always heard that Millets was a part of the Greenfields. Mom and dad have passed and it’s just my brother and I. I also believe they had a brother who was a jeweler. Alec I think. hamb0ne55@yahoo.com may god bless
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I am the book of Eli!😆
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I think it would be easier to communicate by email. Glad to help if I can, although Shpielberg is already on standby!🤣
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I think it would be easier to communicate by email. Glad to help if I can, although Shpielberg is already on standby!🤣
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The starting point is the 1890’s family landing in the UK. Family tree from then maps the business. Email me with pleasure
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Hi. I’m Gavin Murrell. I worked in the Ipswich Branch in the early eighties, and remember when you came to visit our humble branch, headed by the effervescent Mr Silkstone!
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Hi Gavin, great memories of Harry Silkstone. He gave me my first ever part time job in Hanley in 1972, I say part time but stayed loyal to the millets name for 44 years, retiring in 2016!
What a character he was. Occasionally he would go missing for days on end and only after I became asst manager did I understand that he was helping people with alcohol abuse related problems, what a legend!
I remember him giving me a lift home one time, in a Citroen 2cv. He nearly killed us a number of times on that short journey, so I always politely declined any further offers!
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Hi Kathryn – my great grandfather was Israel Marcus (Max) Millet, who started what became Millets/Milletts (an interesting story in itself) with a shop in Bristol in 1893.A now retired journalist, I have researched and written the history of the business – there were in total 14 separate branches and some 300 shops at one stage. I plan to publish a book detailing the family’s arrived in England and the growth of the business etc into what became a British institution early in 2021 – an ex-colleague of mine is currently designing the pages. I would be delighted to send you a copy when available for your use.
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Fantastic news. Thank you!
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Hello! I’d love to read your research on Millets. My grandmother was Rose Millet, daughter of Morris Millet. Her husband, Nat Goldstone and Michael (my father) and Maurice (uncle) set up a branch of Millets known as Millets Sutton with branches mostly in the South. My grandmother spoke little of her early days in London but I know she lived in Roman Road in the East End and that they struggled financially. When she married my grandfather, they moved to Croydon where things were much easier for them. I used to work in Millets Wimbledon when I was a teenager! How can we get hold of your book?
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Well, well well, I never!
I was at Wimbledon around the time, 1980s.
Cyril Boucher, gentleman of some age was the manager and a jolly character called Mohammed was there as well.
A young Nicola put in a good word for me and I was promoted to manage the North End Rd,(Fulham) branch. 🙂
Yatin(Yan)
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Hi, Ashley, I worked for R&A Milletts, and then on to Millets Leisure after the Sears takeover, but then moved to the South East of England where I became manager of Marcus Stores as there was already a different Millets in town. Do you know if this was named after Israel Marcus? I aways wondering where this came from.
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Hi Kevin – thanks for your interest in Millets/Milletts. Further to your question about Marcus Stores. It is nothing to do with Israel Marcus (my great grandfather). The details are as follows: Millets of Bristol (Holdings) Limited, which was run by Bernard Spielman and his son John (Bernard’s wife was the eldest daughter of Israel Marcus), bought Marcus Stores (Gravesend) Limited in January 1973. There were a total of 15 shops all located in Kent.
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Very interesting, however you do not mention the legendary ‘Miss Marge’ Boarer who owned Milletts of StAlbans until sold to (and ruined) by Peacocks Stores
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Andy, please tell us more!
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I was a major supplier of camping accessories to Blacks and all the Millets chains. I was also a board member of Greenfield Millets plc for a short time. I was chairman of COLA (the Camping and Outdoor Leisure Association) for some years – so I have some stories to tell.
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Please do!😉
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My Grandmother was Miriam Greenfield (nee Millet) daughter of Morris Millet and mother to David Greenfield (my father) and John Greenfield. Hope that clears up the connection for you!
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My husband was Michael Goldstone, his mother was Rose Millet , sister of Alan,Robert,Miriam, and Fay, when they married, they were all given a store, My hUsband and his brother Morris all had shops in the South, Ie, Wimbledon, Putney and the South Coast, Brighton, Winchester etc, who later sold to Sears and Co,
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Hello,
memories ;-).
I worked for this Millets, (known as Millets of Sutton).
Started work at the Wimbledon branch around the early eighties and I believe Nicola(daughter of Michael) used to work there as a Saturday girl.
Excellent family business at the time.
Yatin (Yan)
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I am Judith Millet Wilkin, daughter of Sol, granddaughter of Max. After my Dad married my American Mother, they moved to America 93 years ago, leaving behind my Dad’s 7 shops to his brothers, sisters and cousins. As we understand it, this was the foundation of many of the different branches of the family businesses. My 94 year old sister. Mimi, remembers quite a bit if the family history, as our Dad was instrumental in J.M. Millets expansion after he was demobbed from the Army in1919.
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Hello, I worked for R&A Milletts for 10 years in the 1970’s. I remember meeting Alan and on several occasions Julian Millett who was always charming. I started at New st Birmingham branch before moving on to manage West Bromwich, Walsall then back to Birmingham. I was the youngest manager on the company at one stage. A wonderful company, i loved helping them grow.
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Couldn’t agree more. I worked for R&A Millets in Cheltenham in the early 80’s (No not the Millets of Bristol HQ which was also in Cheltenham at the time) and also had the opportunity to meet Alan and Julian on a few occasions. I remember one occasion when Julians Jag had a flat battery and my colleague gave him a jump start from his old Citroen DS and within a few days a cheque arrived for him to buy a new battery by way of a thank you. I loved my time pre Sears, but the company lost its family values when Julian left. Still happy days.
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I worked for approx 10 years R&A Millett’s (two T’s) at first and later returned when Sears took over (one T Millets). I remember Mr Alan and Mr Julian and Ms Lesley (Millet?) visiting the Watford/Luton store on various occasions and even being given a lift back to home by Mr Alan’s chauffeur from a managers meeting in Northampton. It was always better back in the family Millett’s day – I worked in Watford, Luton, West Ealing, Newbury and also Edinburgh branches although I did cover in Wembley, Kettering and Northampton for my sins. I started out as a Saturday lad and made the dizzy heights of manager at the above branches and occasionally ran camping course for the area. Area Managers Mr Magnus, Mr Talbot, Mr Chris Cowtan and Mr Ian Prussia come to mind (but we all hated Wally Barnett). The shops always had a varied range back then – jeans, t-shirts, camping (and workwear) and of course Rockie shirts! I still remember the code for Levi Straight jeans too 211001 (sad I know!). When I started there was always a fancy Christmas get together in London (One year with the Ray McVay Orchestra) – My name back then was Kevin Blackman, although I changed my name when I got married. Great to hear the back story to Millets history and to see that Mr Julian is still around. Whilst manager at Watford, the same day I was seeing my first son was being born, my assistant manager managed to set light to the store (he claimed it was electrical fault)- needless to say we had a “Fire Sale” – which doubled business. My work colleagues Chris Pettit, Malcolm Upton and Clive Gadsden also became store managers. I later went on and worked for Blacks Leisure too. I look forward to hearing more from you Millets guys.
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I worked at millets on the market square in a tiny shop managed by Charles and Rene Barker, who used to own barkers shoes no less. I then became an area manager for greenfield leisure PLC under David and John greenfield reporting to Jack cohen who’s son mark was also an area manager along with John meakin . Never worked in any business that had so many characters and will always be grateful for the opportunity that Jack Cohen gave me . It was then taken over by blacks leisure pre Simon Bentley . A more miserable bunch of directors I have never encountered , I left quite quickly. I recognise that the background I got from greenfields allowed me to become very wealthy as my retail career progressed .
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Hi
I have a tape of my grandfather reminiscing about his childhood in Southampton. He was born in 1910 and recalls borrowing a hand truck and collecting oil covered overalls from Millets on Southampton High street. His desperately poor widowed mother used to wash these overalls. They had to be spotlessly white and ironed. They were only allowed to take six overalls but my grandfather used to collect two extra and hide them in the pile. His mother would then return 6 and collect payment, he would return the extra two. What would these overalls be for ?
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