please empty your brain below
Not an exhaustive list.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 18.10.16 - 7:00 a.m. | #

Bucking the trend: House of Fraser, (Shepherd's Bush); John Lewis (Stratford, soon also in Shepherd's Bush; St Pancras and Heathrow T2 are probably too small to count)

Army & Navy is still a Frasers - does that count as closed?

martin | 18.10.16 - 7:04 a.m. | #

I see I got in between this post and the map above. If you're counting M&S, then Wood Green recently lost a long-standing branch.

martin | 18.10.16 - 7:10 a.m. | #

Peter Robinson (now Top Shop Oxford Circus) wasn't a dept. store, it sold clothing. The technical definition of a dept. store was a large shop selling at least 7 types of goods.
additions to your list; Thomas Wallis (Marble Arch end of Oxford St), Debenham & Freebody, Wigmore St and Gorringes, Victoria

dg writes: Removed, and added, thanks.

amber | 18.10.16 - 7:14 a.m. | #

'Not an exhaustive list' maybe... but definitely exhausting!

Frank F | 18.10.16 - 7:15 a.m. | #

Richmond also had 2 other department stores Goslings and Wright brothers.
The Gosling store burnt down in the 1960's and was eventually rebuilt and reopened as Dickens and Jones. I think it is now House of Fraser.

dg writes: Goslings added, thanks.

Wright brothers store I always thought of as Richmonds smaller version of Kingstons Bentall's as when a child I used to like to go in and ride the escalators or lifts.
Wright brothers store in Richmond became Owen and Owen, which as you have listed is now gone.

John | 18.10.16 - 7:17 a.m. | #

I wanted to find out what happened to Arding & Hobbs, probably the closest department store to where I grew up in Southfields, but the link here - and searching independently in Wikipedia - redirects to the Debenhams page. What's that all about?

Wayne | 18.10.16 - 7:19 a.m. | #

Jones Brothers in Holloway Road, I think it was purchased by the John Lewis partnership - but continued to trade under the original name, it closed in 1990 - but part of the site is now a Waitrose.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

Still anon | 18.10.16 - 7:32 a.m. | #

Croydon also had Grants department store. If you look above the shop fronts in the part of the High Street that parallels Surrey Street Market, the elaborately decorated facade has been preserved.

Grants removals business continues to trade, with the vans retaining Grants characteristic sky-blue colour scheme.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

RayL | 18.10.16 - 7:36 a.m. | #

Deletes blog post I was occasionally working on.

;)

IanVisits | 18.10.16 - 7:39 a.m. | #

What about the wonderful Biba on Kensington High Street in the old Derry and Toms building? Short-lived, but unforgettable and you could get everything from a can of beans to a feather boa.

Waterhouse | 18.10.16 - 7:40 a.m. | #

The Galeries Lafayette used to have an outpost on Regent Street in the 1970s, but I can't remember how broad the range of departments was. I do remember the lifts were pink...

Waterhouse | 18.10.16 - 7:42 a.m. | #

Arding and Hobbs was bought by Allders. When the Allders chain went bust most of the shop went to Debenhams. Part of the building is now a TK Maxx.

Sprout Eater | 18.10.16 - 7:45 a.m. | #

Lewisham also had Tower House, which probably closed in the 1970s. It was part of the RACS (Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society). RACS also had department stores in Woolwich and Eltham, and there may have been others.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

M | 18.10.16 - 8:12 a.m. | #

How far back do you want to go? Brixton also had Quin & Axtens.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

Bryn Davies | 18.10.16 - 8:16 a.m. | #

My first Saturday job was at Wilsons Department Store in Crouch End. It was demolished in 1970 . In The Strand was The Civil Service Store which I seem to remember was opposite Charing Cross station.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

Sara | 18.10.16 - 8:18 a.m. | #

John Sanders also had a branch in Ealing Broadway. It was in the very stylish sixties building that now houses M&S but stepping through its doors in the mid nineties was like entering the world of Grace Brothers.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

Richard Thompson | 18.10.16 - 8:30 a.m. | #

The Co-op used to have a department store on Broad Street, Dagenham. It survived until maybe the early 80s, although traces of the Co-op empire on adjacent sites (a mini market, travel agent, dairy out the back) lasted longer.

Dominic | 18.10.16 - 8:33 a.m. | #

And in fact, thinking about it, there was an enormous Co-op department store in East Ham, in a multistorey Tudor-styled building, at the south end of High Street North. It was demolished in the mid-80s, ostensibly to make way for a library that never arrived, so became a car park instead. Sure there must have been other similar Co-ops elsewhere....

Dominic | 18.10.16 - 8:36 a.m. | #

Ilford used to have a department store called Harrison Gibson which slowly declined in the 25 years I have been living in Ilford. It is now being demolished and redeveloped into something iconic for the Crossrail era.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

kissenme | 18.10.16 - 8:43 a.m. | #

Does BHS Count? Home and Colonial Stores?

Andrew | 18.10.16 - 8:48 a.m. | #

John Sanders in Ealing Broadway was the original shop, not a branch. It moved to Ruislip after selling to Marks.

For the real Are you being served ambience, one had to go to Daniels in West Ealing. They also sold their building a while ago but a "rump" shop selling furniture has remained. Daniels main shop is in Windsor I believe.

F H Rowse opened in West Ealing in 1913 and lasted until 1983. A particularly hideous building occupies the spot (please developers, buy this site)

HoosierSands | Homepage | 18.10.16 - 8:57 a.m. | #

Nice to see some of the old names, such as Cuffs, Garretts, Hinds and Chiesmans. You're also right about Bromley having Medhursts, though it later became part of Allders.

I remember going to Birmingham in the 80s and finding a store called Rackhams: I don't know if there was any connection but it was so much like Allders.

Here's a past name - Trickett's - I recently came across in Deptford.

RogerW | 18.10.16 - 9:02 a.m. | #

Hammersmith used to have a Co-Op department store called "Living" in it's last incarnation. Closed about 15 years ago, now a Primark.

The TK Maxx opposite was a Littlewoods Department Store when I first moved to west London, not sure when it closed.

CP | 18.10.16 - 9:06 a.m. | #

@ RogerW

Rackhams is part of House of Fraser

CP | 18.10.16 - 9:12 a.m. | #

Gardeners Corner, Aldgate is named after the department store.

As is Cobbs Corner, Sydenham.

dg writes: Gardiner's added, thanks.

Still anon | 18.10.16 - 9:12 a.m. | #

RACS department stores were also at Morden (now demolished and replaced by Safeway which turned into a Sainsburys).
RACS at Tooting on Upper Tooting Road / Hebdon. The building still remains, complete with name, but used for other purposes.

Rogmi | 18.10.16 - 9:17 a.m. | #

Seconding that Army & Navy didn't close as such, it was rebranded as House of Fraser - as late as 2005!

David | 18.10.16 - 9:27 a.m. | #

Co Op Stratford, opposite church on Broadway, east of Boardmans. Now a cavernous pub.

scrumpy | 18.10.16 - 9:42 a.m. | #

There used to be an Owen Owen in North Finchley, closed about 20 years ago if memory serves.

dg writes: Oh yes. Added, thanks

Straphanger | 18.10.16 - 9:55 a.m. | #

And don't forget Kennards in Croydon.

Re the comment above, I well remember the country buses advertising Medhursts of Bromley, although I never ventured there

Petras409 | 18.10.16 - 9:57 a.m. | #

Wood Green: when Shopping City opened around 1980, the 'anchor' store was D H Evans. This was renamed House of Fraser, before closing a good 10 years ago. The space was then occupied by Pearsons, in your list, and is now a Primark. Bartons in your list very much predated Shopping City (now, The Mall).

Gordon | 18.10.16 - 9:58 a.m. | #

I always enjoy reading your blog, but this has to be my favourite post! Many thanks!

Suse | 18.10.16 - 10:12 a.m. | #

Special mention for the 'closed' Whiteleys of Bayswater. It has been for some years not a departmental but a concessions store. It was though London's first departmental store, and architecturally it still stands, externally and to a large part internally, in all its original glory. Pop in there quickly before it gets redeveloped again this time into residential store.....

REB | 18.10.16 - 10:15 a.m. | #

Can I offer a couple of long closed department stores:

Staddons of Plaistow - who had one of those systems where the cash was put in a container and catapulted on a wire to a central cash office, the change came back the same way.

J.R Roberts, Stratford. Was next to Boardmans and replaced by the Co-op and now Wilkinsons and a Pub.

dg writes: J R Roberts added, thanks. Staddons is proving unexpectedly Google-resistant.

Agent Z | 18.10.16 - 10:48 a.m. | #

I can recall Sopers in Harrow (now a Debenhams, and spendng some time in the 80s IIRC as 'Sopers, Part of the Debehams Group' before full conversion and Preedy Universal also in Harrow which was stationers at heart but branched out with departments selling LPs, artwork and furniture (though with an office bent, probably true to the stationery slant).

dg writes: Sopers added, thanks.

The Legendary Zelda | 18.10.16 - 10:57 a.m. | #

The mentions of Wood Green (N22) reminds me that there was a Co-Op department store on the High Road both before and after the development of the Shopping City. The new version was a supermarket at street level, with furniture, housewares and clothes on upper floors.

Frank F | 18.10.16 - 11:04 a.m. | #

I think you have a closed v trading under a new name problem - where do you draw the line?

dg writes: Agreed, I've drawn a very muddy line.

You list Army & Navy as closed yet the same building carries on as House of Fraser.

DH Evans on Oxford Street isn't listed as closed yet it's the same deal, carrying on as House of Fraser.

Allders is listed as closed in Sutton yet trades as Debenhams.

Allders is not litsed as closed in Clapham Junction / Battersea and trades as Debenhams.

Allders is not listed as closed on Oxford Sreet. You may remember it took over the C&A Marble Arch site that is now Primark.

Smiths is not listed as closed in Tooting. Morleys rebadged it around 2010.

Oh and there were branches of Cuffs in Putney and East Sheen though I can't remember how big they were.

Finally, was Biba a Department store when it took over Derry & Toms in Kensington? It had a basement food hall, fashion, a kids floor etc. We went in but could only afford to buy at sale time!

ap | 18.10.16 - 11:34 a.m. | #

Primark Marble Arch and Kingston were both previously Allders stores, though I think in both cases not for very long. Marble Arch was originally the flagship store for the dutch chain C&A before they pulled out of the UK.

CP | 18.10.16 - 12:06 p.m. | #

You might also include the General Trading Company, which used to be on the north side of Sloane Square. The Telegraph has this story on its closure.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

Jonathan Wadman | 18.10.16 - 12:27 p.m. | #

Fantos in Deptford. The deathless slogan on the railway bridge used to read:

Your money buys more at
FANTOS
Where your money buys more

dg writes: Added, with photo, thanks.

Philip Downer | 18.10.16 - 1:57 p.m. | #

Daniels in Ealing is a real 'where does it go?' one on your two lists.

It was a full blown department store with bedding, furniture, wool shop, clothing and so on. But it shrunk down to a bedding shop.

So it's open in that there is a Daniels in West Ealing. But it's closed in that the Daniels department store is sadly gone.

I loved Daniels when I lived in Ealing. It was great.

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 18.10.16 - 1:58 p.m. | #

dg:

Staddons, Plaistow, where I used to go into as a 11 year old schoolboy, is in this list of shops with that wire cash system I mentioned together with lots of other shops, some of which have been mentioned already:

http://www.cashrailway.co.uk/locations/eng-london.htm

dg writes: I found that, thanks, so I'm convinced Staddons existed. For every other store on my list I've managed to find at least a photo, or a descriptive webpage... but for Staddons, as yet, nothing.

Agent Z | 18.10.16 - 2:23 p.m. | #

I am old enough to remember Shinners of Sutton - subsequently taken over by Allders and then Woolworths I think. Not quite sure where this fits in your lists.....

dg writes: Added, thanks.

Westville 13 | 18.10.16 - 2:31 p.m. | #

Hurleys of Balham, wound up in 1974,not to be confused with New Hurleys of Balham. I think I had a chemistry set from there for Christmas one year.

south london lad | 18.10.16 - 3:05 p.m. | #

@Zelda: Wow, I had totally forgotten about Preedy Universal. Wasn't it Universal Stores before Preedy came along? Bought loads of stuff from there none of it stationery. Remember it was the poshest shop along that stretch of College Road (?) about six shops up from Sopers of Harrow

PeteC | 18.10.16 - 3:33 p.m. | #

Bowman's in Camden
[image]

dg writes: Aha, furniture store.

Steve | 18.10.16 - 4:18 p.m. | #

In Hackney there was Dudley's at Dalston, you can still see the name at the top of the buildings (near the junction with Shacklewell Lane).
In Stoke Newington there was Stephen's opposite the entrance to Abbey Park Cemetery at the botttom of Stamford Hill. Closed early 70s.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

Steve J | 18.10.16 - 5:54 p.m. | #

Fascinating post DG.

Bromley has had a number department stores over the years, including an Army & Navy (now TKMaxx) and one that never even opened. When The Glades (now called Intu) was being built as a shopping precinct we were due to have a branch of Lewis's of Liverpool (not John Lewis). They went bust in 1991 during the build and never arrived.

You have mentioned Chiesman's at Lewisham. When checking about Army & Navy I was found that Chiesman's had store at Bexleyheath as well as locations outside of your map.

dg writes: Updated, thanks.

James | 18.10.16 - 6:23 p.m. | #

From my childhood I can remember Pyne Brothers, which was half way between Lewisham and New Cross. I think it closed in the 1960s.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

M | 18.10.16 - 6:44 p.m. | #

I've remembered another; Woollands (or Woollands Brothers) was next to Harvey Nicholls, and closed mid60s. There's now a hotel on the site.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

amber | 18.10.16 - 7:20 p.m. | #

Preedy Universal of Harrow was originally Universal Stationers back in the 1960s and was located in Station Road close to its junction with College Road.

Chris | 18.10.16 - 7:38 p.m. | #

Another former major store in Woolwich was the RACS (Royal Arsenal Co-Operative Society, more commonly known as the Co-op).
It's here that comes a real red herring. I passed by it a few years ago, after its closure, and came across "Scottleys" insignia on its doors. I didn't remember the name but a local website had actually indicated that the Scottleys name was, so to speak, "intertwined" with the Co-op. However, it was later pointed out by others - whom I am now inclined to believe - that the stickers were no more than leftover props from when the building had been used as a fictitious store film location.
I have vague childhood memories of it as a Co-op. Other 'urbex' photographers have been inside more recently, and their pictures show that even the Art Deco wrought iron balustrades of the stairways carried a stylised version of the letters 'c-o-o-p.'
(As of recently, the building has been undergoing a full renovation.)

RogerW | 18.10.16 - 7:40 p.m. | #

Allders in Bromley became Primark. It was never a patch on the Croydon flagship. I think the old Debenhams was situated on the high street towards Bromley South (the bit that wasn't pedestrianised) but on the opposite side of the road and moved to the Glades when it first opened. I think Habitat took its spot. Since gone.

Army and Navy were also also that way. If I recall Army and Navy was in two buildings joined by a bridge over a road some floors up.

I think the Army & Navy store in Lewisham had a similar arrangement.

Not a department store but I remember when Sunday trading arrived Littlewoods didn't open on Sundays. Quite strange when they had a rear entrance into the Glades shopping centre.

I remember the last few years of Grants in the 80s. My dad told me it wasn't a patch on the old days. He still referred to Debenhams as Kennards. I recall that branch moving to its current location in the 80s in what was the Drummond Centre.

Allders of Croydon had the most extravagant Christmas displays in the 80s.

| 18.10.16 - 11:05 p.m. | #

Debenhams in Romford took over L F Stone and Son, which was a proper old-fashioned department store. This from British History Online: one of the largest stores, Debenhams, has grown from a small shop opened in 1864. Stones was burnt down in 1945, after a burglary, but it was rebuilt and further extended. L. F. Stone & Sons became a private limited company in 1947. It was taken over in 1960 by Debenhams, which in 1960–63 rebuilt it on the frontage of 60–72 Market Place.

Herbof | 18.10.16 - 11:08 p.m. | #

The wikipedia entry for Kennards (Croydon)says that the zoo in the arcade closed in 1939.

But I was born in 1952 and am sure I remember some small animals (?monkeys) in cages in there, and I think donkey rides along the arcade.

I will check with my mum and post a follow-up comment tomorrow night.

John Simmons | 18.10.16 - 11:29 p.m. | #

Purely out of curiosity I just Googled Are You Being Served? to see if 'Grace Brothers' was based on an actual store (presumably in London) and, if so, which one and where.
It does seem to have been entirely fictitious, the only link with reality being a reference to one of the writers, Jeremy Lloyd, drawing ideas from his experience working at Simpsons of Piccadilly (which wasn't a department store).

RogerW | 19.10.16 - 5:45 a.m. | #

Allders was in Bromley too - it's now Primark.

Rupert Candy | 19.10.16 - 8:03 a.m. | #

Does the Houndsditch Warehouse count as a department store? I used to op in there in lunch breaks when I had temp jobs in the area in my student days. It might be stretching the definition a bit, however.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

Straphanger | 19.10.16 - 11:40 a.m. | #

Following up my comment at 11:29pm yesterday.

I spoke to my mum this evening and she confirmed my recollection of there still being a "zoo" in the Kennards arcade in the late 1950s (and possibly into the early 1960s). However, she remembers it being more like a few cages containing "domestic" animals (e.g. rabbits and guinea pigs) than the "wild" ones (e.g. monkeys) I remembered.

And she agreed with my memory of the donkey rides, and mentioned that it was sometimes very smelly in the almost totally enclosed arcade!

She also recalled that the arcade originally separated Kennards from another store called Baxters before Kennards bought them out. Perhaps another one for your list?

John Simmons | 19.10.16 - 10:31 p.m. | #

in the mid60s Harrods had a pet department, not intended to be a zoo but many customers regarded it as such. I worked in Knightsbridge then and often went to look at the animals during my lunch hour. There was a lion cub which I would have liked but this might not have been practical while I lived in a bedsitter.

amber | 20.10.16 - 6:59 a.m. | #

It's not the most relevant of replies but, hey, it'd be a shame to leave the total comments at 99.
There was a mention of the Keddies at Romford. They also had a flagship branch at Southend-on-Sea which I understand was one of the largest and best-liked stores in the area. I believe it closed in the 1990s.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dbullock/3137975473

RogerW | 20.10.16 - 8:44 a.m. | #

The Tower House in Lewisham was the name of the building occupied by the RACS not the name of the store itself. As well as the RACS South London also had the South Suburban Co-Operative society who had a department store, now demolished, at their Head Office in London Road, Croydon.
Chiesmans of lewisham also had stores at Chatham, Gravesend and Newport (IOW).

Alan Simpkins | 21.10.16 - 10:30 p.m. | #

Chiesmans - in Maidstone too.

Petras409 | 21.10.16 - 11:30 p.m. | #

@Alan Simpkins: Strictly speaking you're right that Tower House was the name of the building occupied by the RACS in Lewisham. But, whatever the official name, the store was always known by us locals as Tower House and never as RACS or Co-op.

M | 22.10.16 - 12:04 a.m. | #

… and I’ve just found this film of the 1933 opening of Tower House, which seems to show that the RACS regarded Tower House as the name of the store: http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-opening-of-tower-house-1933

M | 22.10.16 - 12:21 a.m. | #

I've just had someone on Flickr favourite this, which brought it back to my attention: a former South Suburban Co-Operative Society store in West Norwood.

RogerW | 01.11.16 - 12:53 a.m. | #

Fantastic page. I've loved reading all about the long lost stores.

How about Robinson & Cleaver on Regent Street, W1?

My Dad often used to mention Kennard's in Wimbledon (I've not had any luck with finding anything about them)

The Primark store in Oxford Street, W1, is interesting. Before Primark, it was (briefly) Allders. Before that it was C&A. However, most people don't realise that it was originally built for Gamages. It opened in the mid 30's and went bust quite soon after opening. Bentalls of Kingston bought all the fixtures & fittings for their new store.

Grants of Croydon went bust in the mid 80's. it reopened briefly as an indoor market type of place, called Grantleigh House. It was very tatty.

Felix | 03.04.17 - 10:32 p.m. | #











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