Allders
 |
|
| Industry | Retail |
|---|---|
| Genre | Department store |
| Fate | Closure, liquidation and selling off |
| Founded | 1862 |
| Defunct | 17 January 2013 |
| Headquarters | Croydon, Greater London, United Kingdom |
| Parent | Jaeger |
| Website | www |
Allders was an independent department store operating in the United Kingdom.
Established in Croydon by Joshua Allder in 1862, Allders developed into a chain of department stores across England and Wales. Its flagship store in Croydon was the third-largest department store in the United Kingdom. The chain was broken up and sold after entering administration in 2005, although the Croydon store continued trading until 2012, having been purchased by Harold Tillman, owner of the Jaeger clothing company. On 17 January 2013, the company closed the store along with the website, and the brand ceased to exist.
Allders was opened in 1862 at 102 and 103 North End, Croydon, as a "linen draper and silk mercer" by Joshua Allder (1838–1904) from Walworth, who had served his apprenticeship in Croydon. His shop was diverse, with special offers on silk dresses and also a morning dress section, and departments offering lower-cost items such as buttons and ribbons. This diversity showed a shrewdness in business and an understanding of his mostly female customers.
Croydon was a growing town, and Allder's business grew with it. In 1870, the shop expanded into 104, 106 and 107 North End, although he had to wait for some 20 years to acquire 105, a bakery. The wealth Allder made allowed him to play a prominent part in the local community, on the Local Board of Health, on the council of the County Borough of Croydon for nine years, and in the non-conformist church community. He supported greater rights for his workers, being instrumental in getting local stores closed for a half-day on Wednesdays. Allder died in 1904 leaving a store which had expanded beyond clothing and haberdashery to sell glass and porcelain, among other items.
His main residence in Pampisford Road, South Croydon, now houses Regina Coeli RC school, and two cul-de-sacs nearby are named Allder Way and Joshua Close.
In 1908 Allder's family sold the business to J. W. Holdron and F. C. Bearman, owners of stores in Peckham and Leytonstone respectively. They developed the store into 50 departments with 500 staff and owned the business until 1921. It then passed to the Lawrence family, under whose control it became a limited company.
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Wikipedia