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Hillards

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Defunct British supermarket chain

Hillards plc
"On a white background, the name 'Hillards' in blue, upper case letters appears above a red line drawing of a man, woman, boy and girl. The man pushes a shopping trolley filled with goods on which a young boy rides; behind stands a girl carrying a box, followed by a woman. On the left, a solid red band in an 'L' shape extends beneath the line drawing. Beneath the 'L' shaped band, in a blue serif font, is the text, "Your local superstore for savings right down the line.""
Company typePublic
IndustryRetail
Founded1885; 140 years ago (1885)
FounderJohn Wesley Hillard
Defunct1987; 38 years ago (1987)
FateAcquired and merged into Tesco
SuccessorTesco
HeadquartersCleckheaton, West Yorkshire
Key peoplePeter Hartley (Executive Chairman)
ProductsGroceries

Hillards plc was a small supermarket chain from the North of England, bought out in a hostile takeover by Tesco in May 1987.

History

Hillards in Ilkley in 1983.

The company was founded by John Wesley Hillard in 1885, in the West Yorkshire town of Cleckheaton. The first shop was opened in Lion Chambers there, and shortly after 1900, there were twenty shops operating as Lion Stores. By 1951, there were over seventy stores, and by 1968, it had warehouse size stores in Wakefield, Lincoln and York.

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. 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.

  • Former Hillards in Cleckheaton, now a Tesco Former Hillards in Cleckheaton, now a Tesco
  • Tesco in Oakwood, Leeds was scheduled to open as a Hillards but opened as Tesco as the chain was acquired mid construction. Tesco in Oakwood, Leeds was scheduled to open as a Hillards but opened as Tesco as the chain was acquired mid construction.
  • Former Hillards in Pontefract, now a Tesco Former Hillards in Pontefract, now a Tesco

References

  1. ^ "Hillards Charitable Trust". Archived from the original on 2 January 2007. Retrieved 8 September 2006.
  2. 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.
  3. "TESCO profits are estimated to have risen". The Guardian p. 25. 17 March 1987.
  4. "THE TESCO camp in the takeover battle for Hillards". The Guardian p. 27. 29 April 1987.

External links

Former supermarkets of the United Kingdom
Investor-owned chains
Co-operative societies


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