Peter Robinson was a chain of department stores with its flagship store being situated at Oxford Circus, London. Founded in 1833 as a drapery, Robinson bought up nearby shops on Oxford Street to create a department store. The Topshop chain debuted in 1964 as a section in a Peter Robinson branch. The shop building in Oxford Circus was completed in 1912 and is Grade II listed.
Peter Robinson (1804–1874), a Yorkshireman, opened a linen drapery shop at 103 Oxford Street in 1833. By 1840, he had opened a Court & General Mourning House store at 247–249 Regent Street, [1] which became known as "Black Peter Robinsons". They always had a brougham, harnessed with a coachman dressed in black and lady fitters sat inside, ready to hurry off to the home of a newly bereaved widow. [2] He increased his store space in Oxford Street by buying up nearby shops, so by 1850 he was able to create a department store which was known for selling fashionable ladies clothes and accessories. [3]
In 1865 he expanded further into Regent Street, buying Hodge and Lowman Linen drapers, which occupied 252–262 Regents Street. [4]
During the 1850s, John Lewis, later the founder of a rival department store, worked for Peter Robinson, initially as a drapery assistant, but worked his way up to being the youngest silk buyer in London. In 1864 he was offered a partnership in the business, but declined; instead, he opened his own drapery on Oxford Street. [5] [6] Peter Robinson, the founder is buried in a family grave at Highgate Cemetery. Robinson died in 1895 leaving the large sum of £ 1,119,660 in his will. (worth £ 113.5 million in 2022) [7]
The current building at Oxford Circus was designed by architect Henry Tanner Junior. [8] Being completed in 1912, it is Grade II listed. [9] The building was substantially extended in 1923. [10]
The business grew into a small chain of department stores and in 1946, Burton's (which became the Arcadia Group) took over the chain. [11] The business continued to expand, with new stores opening across the United Kingdom, including Lime Street in Liverpool. Anglia Television televised the opening in 1961 of the Peter Robinson Store in Norwich (later a Topshop). [12] At the height of the business Peter Robinson had 39 stores.
In 1964, to try to attract the younger buyer, Peter Robinson's Topshop was opened on the third floor of the Sheffield store (located in Angel Street). [13] In 1965, the basement of the Oxford Circus store was converted to be a Peter Robinson Topshop.
In 1970, George Martin's Associated Independent Recording company opened the first AIR Studios recording complex on the top floor of the Oxford Circus building, where it remained in operation until 1992. [14] [15]
In 1974, Burton's Group, the parent company decided that Peter Robinson and Topshop should be separated, with Peter Robinson aiming for the over 25s. The number of stores was reduced from 22 to six. [16] By the end of the 1970s the Peter Robinson brand had all but disappeared. [11]
Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. It is named after George, the Prince Regent and was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash and James Burton. It runs from Waterloo Place in St James's at the southern end, through Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus, to All Souls Church. From there Langham Place and Portland Place continue the route to Regent's Park.
Oxford Circus is a road junction connecting Oxford Street and Regent Street in the West End of London. It is also the entrance to Oxford Circus tube station.
Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It marks the notional boundary between the areas of Fitzrovia and Marylebone to the north, with Soho and Mayfair to its immediate south. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and as of 2012 had approximately 300 shops. It is designated as part of the A40, a major road between London and Fishguard, though it is not signed as such, and traffic is regularly restricted to buses and taxis.
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.
TOPSHOP is a British fast-fashion company, which specialises in women's clothing, shoes and accessories. It was part of the Arcadia Group, controlled by Sir Philip Green, but went into administration in late 2020 before being purchased by ASOS on 1 February 2021. It now operates via the ASOS website and app, as well as being sold in Nordstrom stores in the US on Nordstrom.com. TOPSHOP previously had around 510 shops worldwide.
Allders was an independent department store operating in the United Kingdom.
Heelas is a major department store in Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It was known as Heelas until 2001 and that name is still in common usage. The store fronts on to Reading's main pedestrianised shopping street, Broad Street, and backs onto Minster Street and The Oracle shopping centre. The store has belonged to the John Lewis Partnership since 1953.
House of Fraser and Frasers are a British department store chain with 25 locations across the United Kingdom and 2 in Ireland, part of Frasers Group. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891, it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century and in 1936 began a period of growth through acquisition which would continue for over forty years. House of Fraser Ltd was incorporated in 1941 and first listed on the London Stock Exchange six years later.
Arcadia Group Ltd was a British multinational retailing company headquartered in London, England. It was best known for being the previous parent company of British Home Stores (BHS), Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Debenhams, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Topman, Topshop, Wallis and Warehouse. At its peak, the group had more than 2,500 outlets in the UK and concessions in UK department stores and several hundred franchises operated internationally.
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.
John Lewis & Partners is a British brand of high-end department stores operating throughout the United Kingdom, with concessions also located in Ireland. The brand sells general merchandise as part of the John Lewis Partnership. It was created by Spedan Lewis, son of the founder, John Lewis, in 1929. From 1925 to 2022, the chain had a policy that it would always at least match a lower price offered by a national high street competitor; this pledge was known by the name "Never Knowingly Undersold".
J. W. Robinson Co., Robinson's, was a chain of department stores operating in the Southern California and Arizona area, previously with headquarters in Los Angeles, California.
Miss Selfridge is a British fashion brand and former high street store chain which began as the young fashion section of Selfridges department store in London in 1966. It was part of the Arcadia Group, controlled by Sir Philip Green, which went into administration in late 2020. The Miss Selfridge brand was purchased by ASOS on 1 February 2021 and now operates exclusively online.
Peter Rees Jones was the founder of the Peter Jones department store in Sloane Square, London, England.
John Lewis was an English businessman and town councillor, known for being the founder of the John Lewis department store on Oxford Street, London and the national John Lewis department store chain.
Swan & Edgar Ltd was a department store, located at Piccadilly Circus on the western side between Piccadilly and Regent Street established in the early 19th century and closed in 1982.
United Drapery Stores, or UDS, was a British retail group that dominated the British high street from the 1950s to the early 1980s.
Fenwick Colchester is a large high street department store situated in Colchester, Essex, England, formerly known as Williams & Griffin (1963–2016).
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.
Eaden Lilley was a small chain of department stores that started in Cambridge.