Hillards
 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1885 |
| Defunct | 1987 |
| Fate | Acquired |
| Successor | Tesco |
| Headquarters | Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire |
| Products | Groceries |
Hillards plc was a small supermarket chain from the North of England, bought out in a hostile takeover by Tesco in May 1987.
History
The company was founded by John Wesley Hillard in 1885, in the West Yorkshire town of Cleckheaton.[1] The first shop was opened in Lion Chambers there, and shortly after 1900, there were twenty shops operating as Lion Stores.[1] By 1951, there were over seventy stores, and by 1968, it had warehouse size stores in Wakefield, Lincoln and York.[1]
In 1970, the trade name Lion Stores was dropped in favour of Hillards and in 1972, the company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange.[1] Peter Hartley, a grandson of the founder, became executive chairman in 1983 and in May 1987, following a hostile bid, the business was acquired by Tesco for £220m.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d Hillards Charitable Trust
- ^ Clark, Tim (15 April 2008). "A history of Tesco: The rise of Britain's biggest supermarket". London: Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
External links
| Investor-owned chains |
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