Beales (department store)

J E Beale plc, usually referred to by its trading name of Beales, is a department store group based in Bournemouth, Dorset, England, currently operating 32 department stores and one stand-alone fashion store (Beales Boutique, in Fareham) in the UK. The flagship store, Beales in Bournemouth, was established as The Fancy Fair by John Elmes Beale in 1881. It is currently the biggest department store in Dorset.

Beales is a member of Associated Independent Stores (a buying group) which enables Beales to benefit from the cost savings of buying textiles and other non-food goods in bulk. The group acquired the Bentalls department stores in Ealing (closed October 2007), Tonbridge and Worthing from Fenwick in 2002 and closed its Walton-on-Thames store in January 2006. A new Beales store opened in Horsham in September 2006 in premises formerly occupied by Allders. On 4 June 2010 Beales acquired the Robbs department store in Hexham from Vergo Retail which was in administration, for £250,000.[1] In August 2010 Beales expanded further by acquiring the Westgate Department Store in Rochdale from the Anglia Regional Co-operative Society.[2] As of 5th April 2011, Beales accquired 19 additional stores, securing its long term future.[3]

See also

List of department stores of the United Kingdom

References

  1. ^ Amy Shields (4 June 2010). "Beales acquires Robbs of Hexham". Retail Week. http://www.retail-week.com/sectors/department-stores/beales-acquires-robbs-of-hexham/5013710.article. 
  2. ^ "Beales acquires Rochdale department store". HousewaresLive.Net. 9 August 2010. http://www.housewareslive.net/news/news.asp?id=6473&title=Beales+acquires+Rochdale+department+store+. 
  3. ^ Amy Shields; Nicola Harrison (5 April 2011). "Beales to acquire 19 department stores". Drapers. http://www.drapersonline.com/news/womenswear/news/beales-to-acquire-19-department-stores/5024222.article. 

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