Former type Public company Fate Renamed Headquarters London, United Kingdom Successor Mothercare | Industry Retail Defunct 2000 Founded 1986 Ceased operations 2000 | |
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Storehouse plc was a large UK retail business formed by Terence Conran through the merger of various high street chains. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index before it was renamed Mothercare in 2000.
History
The company was formed in 1986 by the merger of Habitat Mothercare PLC with British Home Stores PLC.
In 1988 Storehouse appointed a new chief executive, Michael Julien, to replace Terence Conran who remained as chairman until 1990, and the group was reorganised into three divisions, British Home Stores, 'Speciality Retailing' comprising the group's brands Mothercare, Richard Shops, Blazer, Anonymous and Jacadi and 'Home Furnishing' comprising Habitat, Heals, and the Conran Shop Julien retired on health grounds in 1992 and was replaced by David Dworkin the Chief Executive of British Home Stores.
In 1992 Habitat was purchased from Storehouse by IKANO and Richard Shops was sold to the British retailing giant Sears plc.
The Company bought Children's World from Boots in 1996, and rebranded all of their superstores Mothercare World stores.
In 2000, following several years of tough trading for all companies within the group, British Home Stores was sold to Philip Green for £200m cash. Storehouse then changed its name to Mothercare.
In 2002, the Mothercare Chief Executive was ousted after its fourth profits warning in a year.