| Type | Public (LSE: CPR) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Headquarters | Purfleet, Essex |
| Key people | Lord Harris of Peckham, (Chairman) Christian Sollesse, (UK Managing Director) |
| Products | Carpets |
| Revenue | £516.6 million (2010)[1] |
| Operating income | £34.1 million (2010)[1] |
| Net income | £15.8 million (2010)[1] |
| Employees | 3,494 (2010)[1] |
| Website | www.carpetright.plc.uk |
Carpetright plc (LSE: CPR) is one of the largest British retailers of floor coverings. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
Contents |
The Company was founded by Lord Harris of Peckham in 1988 when he opened the first store in Canning Town.[2] It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1993 and in 1999 it bought selected Carpetland stores and Allied Carpets stores.[2] It acquired its first operations in Continental Europe in 2002 and in 2005 acquired May's World of Carpets.[2]
In 2008 Cascade Investments LLC, Bill Gates's investment vehicle, acquired a 3% stake in the Company.[3]
Also in 2008 the Company acquired some Sleepright UK stores.[4]
The Company now has circa 703 stores.[5] It has expanded into Belgium, the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland. Its products include carpets, laminate flooring, vinyl flooring and rugs.
A Carpetright building in Tottenham was shown being looted during the 2011 London riots live on Sky News on the night of 6 August 2011.