Subsidiaries J E Beale plc Headquarters United Kingdom Type of business Public | Genre Department Store Website www.beales.co.uk Number of locations 29 Founded 1881 Owners Dave Whelan, Ken Morrison | |
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Key people Andrew PerloffStuart LyonsSimon PetersMark Newton JonesJoe WilkesMike Ashley Profiles | ||
Beales is an English department store chain, currently operating 29 branches. The flagship store, Beales in Bournemouth, was established as The Fancy Fair by John Elmes Beale in 1881 and is currently the biggest department store in Dorset.
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The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange until its private equity takeover.
History
Beales was established in 1881 by John Elmes Beale when he opened a store in Bournemouth. Whitakers, the Bolton department store opened in 1829 was bought by Beales in 1996, with the name changed to Beales in 2011.
The group acquired the Bentalls department stores in Ealing (closed October 2007), Tonbridge and Worthing from Fenwick in 2002 and closed its Walton-on-Thames store in January 2006.
A new Beales store opened in Horsham in September 2006 in premises formerly occupied by Allders.
On 4 June 2010 Beales acquired the Robbs department store in Hexham from Vergo Retail which was in administration, for £250,000.
In August 2010 Beales expanded further by acquiring the Westgate Department Store in Rochdale from the Anglia Regional Co-operative Society.
As of 5 April 2011, Beales acquired 19 additional Westgate stores, securing its long-term future.
In May 2012 Beales announced it would be opening an outlet store in the old T.J. Hughes store in The Mall Maidstone. This store closed in June 2013. In addition a branch in Skipton closed in November 2012, a branch in Cinderford closed in July 2013 [1].
In summer 2014, the large Harrogate store closed for re-development of the land by the landlord.
In June 2016 a planning application submitted by AEW UK for 76 flats in Bournemouth's Beales store was unanimously rejected after a campaign by locals and the owners of Beales backed by Conor Burns MP. The 65 studio and 11 one bedroom flats with no parking which were described by AEW UK as "an environmentally sustainable approach" which "made the best use of the building" were rejected by councillors as "shabby" and "appalling".
Current operations
Beales is a member of Associated Independent Stores (a buying group) which enables Beales to benefit from the cost savings of buying textiles and other non-food goods in bulk.