Recent Comments
bilson17 on The Legacy of J. Hepworth… bilson17 on The Legacy of J. Hepworth… Les James on The Legacy of J. Hepworth… bilson17 on The Legacy of J. Hepworth… bilson17 on The Legacy of J. Hepworth…
Author Archives: buildingourpast
Remembering Littlewoods Stores
For much of the 20th century, the Moores family operated a number of highly profitable businesses under the ‘Littlewoods’ name, including football pools and mail-order catalogues. The most visible aspect of their lucrative empire, however, was the chain of Littlewoods … Continue reading
Posted in Littlewoods
62 Comments
British Home Stores Part 3: 1960 to 2016
The last of BHS’s war-damaged stores to be rebuilt was Bristol, where a ‘temporary’ store had traded for many years. The new building opened in 1960 on a corner site and had an attractive concave frontage with a sweeping canopy … Continue reading
Posted in British Home Stores (BHS)
8 Comments
British Home Stores Part 2: the 1940s and 1950s
At the end of 1939 British Home Stores (BHS) was operating 58 stores in England and Wales. Two stores were still under construction in the early war years and one of these – in Lewisham – was requisitioned and not … Continue reading
Posted in British Home Stores (BHS)
4 Comments
British Home Stores Part 1: 1928-39
British Home Stores, commonly known as ‘BHS’, was registered as a private company in London in April 1928. The exact circumstances of its foundation remain mysterious, as do the personalities involved, but the intention from the outset seems to have … Continue reading
Posted in British Home Stores (BHS)
Leave a comment
The Public Benefit Boot Co and Lennards
The Public Benefit Boot & Shoe Co The Public Benefit Boot & Shoe Co – what a name! It makes an overt claim to altruistic philanthropy, something that was often little more than a cynical advertising ploy for Victorian businessmen. … Continue reading
Posted in Shoe Shops
28 Comments
‘Shop-Coolness and Counter-Cleanliness’: The Legacy of the Maypole Dairy Co
Introduction Some of the most ornate and distinctive shopfronts created by British provision chains in the late 19th and early 20th centuries belonged to the Maypole Dairy Co. These are highly recognisable and well worth looking out for, though examples … Continue reading
The Legacy of Home & Colonial Stores
Introduction Decades have passed since large superstores asserted their dominance over the retail food market, yet attractive remnants of old grocery and provision chains can still be spotted on shopping streets throughout the UK. One of the most recognisable is … Continue reading
The Legacy of Freeman, Hardy & Willis
Introduction Boot and shoe dealers were amongst the first chains of shops to emerge in the mid-to-late 19th century. Many sprang up when footwear manufacturers decided to eliminate the middleman and sell their products direct to customers through their own … Continue reading
Posted in Shoe Shops
22 Comments
Lipton’s: ‘A Beautiful Study in White’
Introduction A self-made man, Sir Thomas J. Lipton (1848-1931) opened his first provision shop in Stobcross Street, Glasgow, in 1871. His shops multiplied, their openings trumpeted with stunts and fanfares, and Lipton quickly made his fortune. But it was his decision to … Continue reading
The Legacy of David Greig
Introduction Conditions were ripe for the success of multiple (chain) retailing in the late 19th century, including provision dealers and grocers such as Home & Colonial Stores, Maypole Dairies, Lipton’s, Sainsbury’s and David Greig. From a base established in Brixton, … Continue reading
Building Our Past 