Hillards
 | |
| Public | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Fate | Acquired |
| Successor | Tesco |
| Founded | 1885 |
| Defunct | 1987 |
| 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 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 20 shops operating as Lion Stores.[1] By 1951 there were over 70 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
- 1 2 3 4 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.