Debenhams plc was a British department store chain operating in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland, and is still operating as a franchise in seven Middle East countries. It was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and grew to 178 locations across those countries, also owning the Danish department store chain Magasin du Nord. In its final years, its headquarters were within the premises of its flagship store in Oxford Street, London. The range of goods sold included middle-to-high-end clothing, beauty, household items, and furniture.
British Home Stores, commonly abbreviated to BHS and latterly legally styled BHS Ltd, was a British department store chain, primarily selling clothing and household items. In its later years, the company began to expand into furniture, electronics, entertainment, convenience groceries and fragrance and beauty products.
Allders was an independent department store operating in the United Kingdom.
Afflecks is an indoor market in Manchester, England, in the city's Northern Quarter on the junction of Church Street/Tib Street and Dale Street with Oldham Street. Dozens of independent stalls, small shops and boutiques operate in the one building. The building was once home to Affleck & Brown, one of the city's principal department stores. A bar on the original site opened in 2015, under the Affleck & Brown name.
Cavendish House is Cheltenham's oldest department store, located on The Promenade. Its establishment was of great significance for Cheltenham's future reputation as a leading shopping centre. Known as 'Cavendish House' from its early days, its name was officially adopted with the registration of a limited liability company in 1883. The store became part of the House of Fraser group in 1970.
Lewis's was a chain of British department stores that operated from 1856 to 2010. The owners of Lewis's went into administration several times, including in 1991. The first store, which opened in Liverpool city centre, became the flagship of the chain. Several stores in the chain were bought in 1991 by the company Owen Owen and continued to operate under the Lewis's brand name for several years, but after the closure of the Manchester store in 2001, only the original Liverpool store continued to trade under the Lewis's name. This store was sold in 2007 to Vergo Retail Ltd and closed in 2010.
Owen Owen was a Liverpool-based operator of department stores in the United Kingdom and Canada. Beginning with a drapery shop in Liverpool, a chain of department stores was built up, often by taking over rival retailers. The company remained under Owen / Norman family control until the 1980s, and the brand ceased to be used in 2007.
United Drapery Stores, or UDS, was a British retail group that dominated the British high street from the 1950s to the early 1980s.
Stollers is a British-based home furnishings retailer. It is located at Walney Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is currently one of the largest single site furniture stores in the country.
Dierbergs is a supermarket chain based in Chesterfield, Missouri, that, along with Schnucks, dominates the Greater St. Louis grocery market. Dierbergs operates 26 stores in both Missouri and Illinois. In 2006 it employed more than 5,000 employees, making it one of the top 25 largest employers in the St. Louis metro area.
Marshall & Snelgrove was a department store on the north side of Oxford Street, London, on the corner with Vere Street founded by James Marshall. The company became part of the Debenhams group.
Edwin Jones was a large department store in Southampton, England founded in 1860 in East Street, Southampton with further stores established in Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, and Clinton Arcade, Weymouth. The business became part of the Drapery Trust, later a subsidiary of Debenhams, in 1928. The store was re-branded as Debenhams in 1973.
Drapery Trust formed in 1925 by Clarence Hatry, a notorious British financier. He had made his fortune in speculating on oil stocks, and had convinced investors to promote department stores and bring them under the management of a retail conglomerate. The business was acquired by Debenhams in 1927 and was run as a subsidiary until the 1970s.
Bobby & Co. was a provincial department store group based mainly in seaside towns on the south coast of England. The business operated from 1887 until 1972. During the 1920s it became part of the Drapery Trust, which in turn became a subsidiary of Debenhams.
E Dingle & Co was a department store chain with its flagship store in Plymouth, England. It is now part of House of Fraser group.
Matthias Robinson was a small chain of department stores in the north of England which were purchased by Debenhams.
Plummer Roddis was a chain of department stores based in the South of England which was acquired by the Drapery Trust, before being absorbed by its parent company Debenhams.
Colson's, later Dingle's and House of Fraser, was a department store located in Exeter, Devon, England. Located on the High Street, the store was founded in 1792, then expanded after damage in the Second World War. It was later purchased and grouped with Plymouth-based Dingles, taking their name, before becoming House of Fraser. The store closed in 2019, along with a number of other House of Fraser stores during financial difficulties at the group. The site was derelict for a number of years, before being renovated during 2022 by IHG Hotels & Resorts as a Hotel Indigo, including a restaurant named "Colson's" in recognition of the history of the building.
Long Row is a row of retail buildings in Nottingham City Centre forming the north side of Old Market Square, Nottingham.
Department stores are an established retail format globally. The format has origins in France, the United Kingdom and United States, among many others.
