David Greig
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David Greig was the eponymously titled supermarket chain of the Greig family. With its headquarter's at Atlantic Road and grocery stores across Britain it was a rival to the nascent Sainsbury's chain. There was a deep personal rivalry between the two families because of acrimonious feelings about the Greig's alleged betrayal of a verbal agreement regarding the purchasing of sites for development. The first store was opened in Brixton in 1888 and by the 1960's there were more than 160 stores across the country. However, the company collapsed after failure to go public led to crippling death duties when several of the men in the family died in quick succession, with inheritance tax obligatory on their entirely private holdings.
David Greig was a notable philanthropist, leaving trusts for the development of local community centres and most significantly the Greig City Academy in Hornsey.
The old David Greig building in Canterbury (now Superdrug) won an award for its post-war architecture. There is an inscription on the wall, in memory of DAVID GREIG, founder and DAVID ROSS GREIG.
When Superdrug refurbished the store in the 1990s and the marble replaced, a stone-mason was employed to re-create the inscription. It can still be seen today.
