| Type | Department Store |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1882 |
| Headquarters | Newcastle upon Tyne |
Fenwick (founded 1882, Newcastle upon Tyne) is an independent chain of high-end department stores in the United Kingdom. The store's founder, John James Fenwick, was born in Richmond, North Yorkshire in 1846.[1]
The group has its headquarters at the flagship Fenwick department store in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, one of the largest department stores in the UK. Other stores are located in London (in Bond Street and Brent Cross), Leicester, York, Windsor, Canterbury and Tunbridge Wells. Fenwick acquired the Bentalls group during 2001 which at that time comprised five department stores. Three of these were subsequently sold to J E Beale with Fenwick retaining only two of the stores, in Kingston upon Thames and Bracknell. In 2007 the group further expanded by purchasing Williams & Griffin, a well regarded independent department store, in Colchester, Essex.
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The Newcastle store which is one of Britain's largest department stores, holds a spectacular Christmas window tableau each year, attracting visitors from a wide area. Fenwick Newcastle has a complex layout made up of several interconnected buildings that open to Northumberland Street, Eldon Square, Monument Mall and Blackett Street. The store includes nine (with the opening of a Cafe Nero) cafés and restaurants and a wide selection of goods.
In 2008, the Sunday Times Rich List revealed that Fenwick's was the single most profitable branch of any department store chain in the United Kingdom with assets totaling an excess of £330 million. It is widely viewed as one of the most luxurious department stores in the UK, specializing in a wide range of luxury products which are not available in other British shops, as well as the famous 'Wine Shop' which has the largest selection of wines and spirits in the North East. Furthermore, its food court enjoys a reputation as a seller of some of the finest foods available on the high street, a selection of which is served in the store's six restaurants. It remains a tourist attraction in Newcastle upon Tyne, its green bags being iconic and arguably something of a status symbol in the city.
The store's target market is mainly upper-middle class (above those of John Lewis, House of Fraser and Debenhams, whose target market is the lower-middle class), although a range of products are available spanning all socio-economic groups, perhaps being an explanation for its extremely profitable nature.
Branches in Bond Street (where Fenwick have had a branch since 1891)[2], York and Windsor offer a limited range of departments, specializing in clothing, fashion accessories and cosmetics, as the focus of their assortment.
The pronunciation of 'Fenwick' differentiates from its spelling, being pronounced 'Fen-ick', not 'Fen-wick'. It is usually, yet incorrectly, referred to as 'Fenwick's' and not 'Fenwick'.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Fenwick_(department_store) Fenwick (department store)] at Wikimedia Commons
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