Robbs

Robbs of Hexham
Retail
Industry Retail
Genre Department Store
Founded 1819
Founder William Robb
Defunct 2011
Headquarters Hexham, England
Number of employees
 140
Parent Beales
Website (parent company)

Robbs was a mid-size department store in Hexham, owned by Beales. It was set up and created in 1819 by William Robb and expanded in the 1920s and 1980s respectively. It has had a long and extravagant history. It has been owned by Merchant Retail and Owen Owen in the past, before it was bought by the newly formed Vergo Retail in 2007.[1]

On 7 May 2010 Vergo was placed into administration, with MCR appointed as the administrators. On 11 May 2010 it was announced that there would be ten store closures, including Robbs, within the next four weeks unless a buyer was found.[2] By 21 May 2010 Beales had lodged a formal notice of interest in Robbs of Hexham, whilst the administrators asked the Buccleuch Group, owners of the building, and Northumberland County Council to waive rent and rates for ten weeks, to allow the business to be continued to be marketed as a going concern.[3] On 4 June 2010 Robbs was sold to Beales for £250,000, saving 140 jobs. Beales aims to return the store to profitability over time.[4] In 2011, the store was rebranded under the Beales fascia.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Historic shops sold in £5m deal". BBC News (bbc.co.uk). 2005-01-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4187745.stm. Retrieved 2007-03-17
  2. ↑ "MCR appointed administrators for Vergo Retail Limited". MCR. 11 May 2010.
  3. ↑ Helen Compson (21 May 2010). "National chain eyes up Robb's:". Hexham Courant.
  4. ↑ Amy Shields (4 June 2010). "Beales acquires Robbs of Hexham". Retail Week.

External links