Bentalls

Bentalls Limited
Private
Industry Retail
Genre Department Store
Founded 1867
Founder Frank Bentall
Headquarters Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
Number of locations
 2
Key people
 Leonard Edward Rowan Bentall (Chairman 1968-78, President 1978-93)
Parent Fenwick
Website www.bentalls.co.uk

Bentalls is an English department store chain with branches in Kingston upon Thames, London, and Bracknell, Berkshire. The well regarded 'county' department store began as a drapery shop, founded by Frank Bentall in 1867. The company was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange, but since 2001 has been owned by the private Fenwick group.

History

Bentalls was established in 1867 by Frank Bentall who purchased a drapery shop in Kingston upon Thames. The principal buildings of the Kingston store were completed in 1935 to a design by architect Maurice Webb (son of Sir Aston Webb) and inspired by Wren's design for Hampton Court. The fine stonework on the facade was the work of Eric Gill. Between 1935 and 1976 it was the UK's largest department store outside central London. It became a Grade II listed building in 2011.

The facade of the original store has been retained as part of the Bentall Centre shopping development which was opened in 1992, in which the principal Bentalls store is now located. The store previously occupied buildings covering the entire site of the development.

The company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1946, but the Bentall family retained a controlling interest.

Under the association with Frank Bentall's grandson Rowan Bentall, who was Chairman between 1968-1978, the company expanded and opened further stores in Bracknell, Chatham, Ealing, Lakeside, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Worthing. As a result, the group's turnover more than doubled from £14.5 million to £35.1 million.[1]

The company subsequently opened a store in Bristol and closed the stores in Chatham and Royal Tunbridge Wells.

In 2000, the chain rejected a £27 million offer from its rival Allders.

In January 2001, Bentalls sold their loss-making Bristol store to rival House of Fraser for £16.35 million.[2]

In June of that year, the family-owned rival department store chain Fenwick purchased Bentalls for £70.8 million. The Bentall family's shareholding at the time was 38%, with Frank Bentall's great grandson Edward Bentall being the Chairman. The company's turnover was £108.2 million.[3] The chain then consisted of six stores, in: Bracknell, Ealing, Kingston upon Thames, Lakeside, Tonbridge and Worthing.[4]

Fenwick subsequently closed the Lakeside store and sold the leases of the Bentalls sites in Ealing, Tonbridge and Worthing to the Bournemouth based Beales group. However, it retained the successful stores in Kingston upon Thames and Bracknell.

The Bracknell branch is due to be re-located and re-branded as Fenwick in 2016.

Current operations

Kingston is one of the largest retail centres in the south-east and Bentalls itself is popular among many shoppers. In the days approaching Christmas, Bentalls Kingston is said to take over £1 million per day.

The only department store in Bracknell town centre at present is Bentalls. However, this will change in 2015 with the opening of a Marks & Spencer store.

Department store locations

In popular culture

Singer Dusty Springfield once worked at Bentalls in Ealing and singer Petula Clark gave her first public performance as a child at Bentalls in Kingston upon Thames.

Bentalls is mentioned by the character Chubb in the Anthony Blunt episode (A Question of Attribution) of the stage play Single Spies by Alan Bennett.

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-rowan-bentall-1488052.html
  2. ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/business/2001/mar/31/10
  3. ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/business/2001/jun/29/1
  4. ↑ http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-1552372/Fenwick-buys-Bentalls-in-16370m-deal.html

External links