List of department stores of the United Kingdom

This is a list of department stores of the United Kingdom. In the case of department store groups the location of the flagship store is given. This list does not include large specialist stores, which sometimes resemble department stores.

Currently trading

* Allders (Croydon)
* Atkinsons (Sheffield)
* Austins (Derry)
* Austins (Newton Abbot)
* Bairds (Hamilton)
* Banburys (Barnstaple)
* Barbours (Dumfries)
* Barkers (Northallerton)
* J E Beale (Bournemouth and branches) - Group of 11 department stores, mostly trading under the 'Beales' name, including
** Beales (Bournemouth)
** Broadbents & Boothroyds (Southport) - Formerly Boothroyds.
** Denners (Yeovil)
** Whitakers (Bolton)
* Bennetts (Derby)
* Bhs (Oxford Street, London and branches) - Formerly British Home Stores
* Blands (Wembley)
* Boswells (Oxford)
* Boyes (Scarborough and branches) - Group of 33 stores throughout northern and eastern England.
* Bratts (Nantwich)
* Browns (York and Helmsley)
* Camp Hopson (Newbury)
* Chopes (Bideford)
* Clares (Llandudno)
* Collingwood Batchelor (Horley)
* W J Daniel (Windsor and branches)
* Debenhams (Oxford Street, London and branches) - Occupies the most number of sites of any of the traditional department store groups in the UK. The majority of the original trading names of the stores, in each of their respective locations, were replaced with the 'Debenhams' name during the 1970s. All department stores in the group now trade as 'Debenhams' except Browns in Chester. New stores are usually located within wider town and regional shopping centre developments. Stores amalgamated into the group include
** Marshall & Snelgrove (Oxford Street, London)
** Curl Brothers (Norwich)
** Elliston & Cavell (Oxford)
** Griffin & Spalding (Nottingham)
** Edwin Jones (Southampton)
** Kennards (Croydon)
** Pauldens (Sheffield)
** Mathias Robinson (Leeds)
** Spooners (Plymouth)
** Thornton Varley (Hull)
* Dunnes Stores (Bangor and branches)
* Eaden Lilley (Saffron Walden and branches)
* Elliotts (Lymington)
* Elphicks (Farnham)
* Eve & Ranshaw (Louth)
* Fenwick (Newcastle upon Tyne and branches) - Group of 11 stores including
** Fenwick (Newcastle upon Tyne)
** Bentalls (Kingston upon Thames)
** Williams & Griffin (Colchester)
* Facy (Henley-on-Thames)
* Fields (Sidmouth)
* Fishpools (Waltham Cross)
* Fortnum & Mason (Piccadilly, London)
* Goulds (Dorchester)
* Philip Hall (Ripon)
* Harrods (Knightsbridge, London)
* Harvey Nichols (Knightsbridge, London and branches)
* Harveys (Halifax)
* Hatchers (Taunton)
* Hawkins (Hitchin)
* Heal & Son (Tottenham Court Road, London and branches)
* Hoopers (Torquay and branches)
* David Hourston & Sons (Ayr)
* House of Fraser (Glasgow and branches) - The third largest group of traditional department stores in the UK. Each store is being re-branded as 'House of Fraser' following an ongoing programme of refurbishments. Store closures have included Barkers in Kensington and Dickins & Jones in Regent Street, London (2006). New stores include Belfast and High Wycombe (2008). The group has stated that the historic Jenners name will be retained at stores acquired in Scotland in 2005. Stores include
** Frasers (Glasgow) - Formerly McDonalds, Wylie & Lochhead / McDonalds and Wylie & Lochhead.
** Beatties (Wolverhampton)
** Cavendish House (Cheltenham)
** House of Fraser Birmingham (Birmingham) - Formerly Rackhams.
** House of Fraser Hull (Hull) - Formerly Hammonds.
** House of Fraser Manchester (Manchester) - Formerly Kendals / Kendal Milne.
** House of Fraser Oxford Street (Oxford Street, London) - Formerly D H Evans.
** House of Fraser Plymouth (Plymouth) - Formerly Dingles.
** Howells (Cardiff) - Formerly James Howell.
** Jenners (Edinburgh)
* T J Hughes (Liverpool and branches)
* T P Hughes (Tenby)
* Jarrold (Norwich)
* Laughtons (Deal)
* Herbert Lewis (Chepstow)
* John Lewis Partnership (Oxford Street, London and branches) - Operates 26 department stores, 184 Waitrose supermarkets and 5 Waitrose Food & Home stores. The group is arguably the most respected department store group in the UK. John Lewis is a 'partnership', operating a unique democratic structure, with every permanent employee retaining a share in the business (held in trust). Nine long-established stores, each trading under their original names, have been re-branded as 'John Lewis' since 2000. Knight & Lee in Southsea will be re-branded following relocation to new premises. The group has stated that Peter Jones in Sloane Square, London will retain its original name. Department stores include
** John Lewis (Oxford Street, London)
** Peter Jones (Sloane Square, London)
** John Lewis Cambridge (Cambridge) - Formerly Robert Sayle.
** John Lewis Liverpool (Liverpool) - Formerly George Henry Lee.
** John Lewis Newcastle (Newcastle upon Tyne) - Formerly Bainbridge.
** John Lewis Norwich (Norwich) - Formerly Bonds.
** John Lewis Nottingham (Nottingham) - Formerly Jessop & Son.
** John Lewis Sheffield (Sheffield) - Formerly Cole Brothers.
** John Lewis Southampton (Southampton) - Formerly Tyrrell & Green.
** John Lewis Solihull (Solihull)
* Liberty (Regent Street, London)
* McEwens (Perth)
* Marks & Spencer (Marble Arch, Oxford Street, London and branches)
* Matalan (Preston and branches)
* J T Morgan (Swansea)
* Morleys (Brixton and branches) - Group of 5 department stores
** Morleys (Brixton)
** Bodgers (Ilford)
** Elys (Wimbledon)
** James Selby (Holloway)
** Smith Brothers (Tooting)
* Nasons (Canterbury)
* Number 18 (Penrith Co-op) (Penrith)
* Oldrids (Boston)
* Palmers (Great Yarmouth and branches) - Group of 5 department stores including
** Palmers (Great Yarmouth)
** Chadds (Lowestoft)
* Pearsons (Enfield and branches)
* Primark (Reading and branches)
* The Range (Plymouth and branches)
* Roomes (Upminster)
* Rossiters (Paignton) - closure annouced for January 2009
* Roys (Wroxham and branches)
* Russell & Dorrell (Worcester)
* Trago Mills (Newton Abbot and branches)
* Tudor Williams (New Malden)
* Tyrers (St Helens)
* Selfridges (Oxford Street, London and branches) - Group of 4 department stores
** Selfridges (Oxford Street, London)
** Selfridges Birmingham (Birmingham)
** Selfridges Manchester Exchange Square (Manchester)
** Selfridges Manchester Trafford (Trafford Centre, Manchester)
* Smith Bradbeer (Romsey)
* J W Stringer (Lytham)
* J R Taylor (St Annes-on-Sea)
* C J Townrow & Sons (Braintree)
* Vergo Retail (Liverpool and branches) - Group of 3 department stores
** Joplings (Sunderland)
** Lewis's (Liverpool)
** Robbs (Hexham)
* Walker & Ling (Weston-super-Mare)
* Watt Brothers (Glasgow)
* Westgate Department Stores (Peterborough and branches) - Group of 28 department stores owned by Anglia Regional Co-operative Society.
* Fred Winter (Stratford upon Avon)
* Woolworths (Liverpool and branches) - Formerly F W Woolworth & Co.
* Wroes (Bude and branches)

Defunct department store groups

* Allders Department Stores (Croydon and branches) - Group went into administration on 29 January 2005. All branches were subsequently sold or closed. The flagship Croydon store is now independently owned and continues to trade as Allders.
* J J Allen (Bournemouth and branches) - Group acquired by House of Fraser.
* Army & Navy Stores (Victoria Street, London and branches) - Group acquired by House of Fraser. Branches in Camberley and Chichester continue to trade as Army & Navy.
* Arnotts (Glasgow and branches) - Group created by House of Fraser.
* T Baird & Sons (Wishaw and branches) - Group acquired by House of Fraser and subsequently incorporated into the Arnotts group. The branch in Hamilton is now an independent department store trading as Bairds.
* John Barker & Co (Kensington and branches) - Group acquired by House of Fraser.
* Bentalls (Kingston upon Thames and branches) - Group acquired by Fenwick. Stores in Kingston upon Thames and Bracknell continue to trade as Bentalls.
* H Binns Son & Co (Sunderland and branches) - Group acquired by House of Fraser. Branches in Darlington and Middlesbrough continue to trade as Binns.
* Bobby & Co (Margate and branches) - Group acquired by Drapery Trust and amalgamated with Debenhams.
* Brighton Co-operative Society (Brighton and branches)
* Brown Muff (Bradford and branches) - Group acquired by House of Fraser.
* C&A (Oxford Street, London and branches) - Closed all UK stores in 2000.
* Chiesmans (Lewisham and branches) - Group acquired by House of Fraser.
* E Dingle & Co (Plymouth and branches) - Group acquired by House of Fraser.
* Drapery Trust - Holding company of a group of department stores amalgamated with Debenhams.
* Edward Grey (Birmingham and branches) - Group acquired by Debenhams.
* Harrods (Knightsbridge and branches) - Group acquired by House of Fraser. The flagship Knightsbridge store is now independently owned and continues to trade as Harrods.
* Hide & Co (Kingston upon Thames and branches) - Group acquired by House of Fraser.
* Kennards (Croydon and branches) - Group acquired by Drapery Trust and amalgamated with Debenhams.
* Lewis's (Liverpool and branches) - Group went into administration in 1991. A number of stores were subsequently acquired by Owen Owen. The flagship Liverpool store is now owned by Vergo Retail and continues to trade as Lewis's.
* Littlewoods (Oxford Street, London and branches) - Closed all stores in 2004.
* Marshall & Snelgrove (Oxford Street, London and branches) - Group merged with Debenhams.
* Merchant Retail Group (Sunderland and branches) - Owner of 6 department stores, 3 of which were sold to Owen Owen.
* Owen Owen (Liverpool and branches) - Group went into administration on 28 February 2007. 3 stores subsequently acquired by Vergo Retail.
* Plummer Roddis (Bournemouth and branches) - Group acquired by Debenhams.
* Mathias Robinson (West Hartlepool and branches) - Group acquired by Debenhams.
* Peter Robinson (Oxford Circus, London and branches) - Group acquired by Burton.
* Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society (Woolwich and branches)
* Scottish Drapery Corporation - Holding company acquired by House of Fraser.
* Selfridge Provincial Stores (Oxford Street, London and branches) - Branches acquired by John Lewis Partnership in 1940. Selfridges flagship department store was not part of this acquisition and was acquired by Lewis's in 1951.
* South Suburban Co-operative Society (Croydon and branches)
* Sunwin House (Bradford and branches) - Department store operations of United Co-operatives. Stores sold to Anglia Regional Co-operative Society and T J Hughes.
* United Drapery Stores - Holding company of a number of businesses including department stores. Department store operations merged to form Allders group.

Defunct independent department stores

"These department stores were not amalgamated into any of the businesses listed above:"

* Arberys (Wantage)
* Barrows (Birmingham)
* Edward Bates (Chatham)
* Bearmans (Leytonstone)
* Blacklers (Liverpool)
* Blake & Son (Maidstone) - Closed 1978.
* Boardmans (Stratford, London)
* Bolingbroke & Wenley (Chelmsford)
* Bourne & Hollingsworth (Oxford Street, London)
* Braggins (Bedford)
* Brakes (Taunton)
* Carmichaels (Hull)
* Chadds of Hereford (Hereford) - Closed 7 June 2008 after 79 years of trading since 1929.
* Civil Service Supply Association (Strand, London)
* Clements (Watford) - Closed 2004.
* Walter Cobb (Sydenham)
* Coxs (Burslem)
* Cuffs (Woolwich)
* Evans & Owen (Bath)
* Ben Evans (Swansea)
* Benjamin Beardmore Evans (Kilburn)
* Dan Evans (Barry) - Closed 28 January 2006.
* Edwin Davis (Hull)
* Featherstones (Chatham)
* Gamages (Holborn, London)
* Glass's (Peterborough)
* Goldbergs (Glasgow)
* Goodbans (Chiswick)
* Gorringes (Buckingham Palace Road, London)
* Grant Brothers (Croydon)
* Hanningtons (Brighton)
* Hill Carter (North Shields)
* Houndsditch Warehouse (Houndsditch, London)
* V H Jarvis (Aylesbury) - Closed 1980.
* Jones & Higgins (Peckham)
* B J Jones (Lampeter)
* Keddies (Southend-on-Sea)
* Kirby & Nicholson (York)
* Lack Brothers (Thornton Heath)
* Laurie & McConnal (Cambridge)
* Lidstones (Walthamstow)
* William McIlroy (Reading)
* David Morgan (Cardiff) - Closed 29 January 2005.
* Henry A Murton (Newcastle upon Tyne)
* Plumptons (Bury St Edmunds)
* Rankins (Chiswick)
* T R Roberts (Stratford, London)
* W J Roberts & Sons (Truro) - Formerly Bon Marche.
* Matthew Rose & Sons (Hackney)
* Rowntrees (Scarborough)
* Salts (Swadlincote)
* Sheltons (Peterborough)
* James Shoolbred (Tottenham Court Road, London)
* Sopers (Brighton)
* T B Stephens (Stoke Newington)
* Tarns (Elephant and Castle)
* Vokins (Brighton)
* Wades (Brighton)
* Waltons (Exeter)
* Wards (Cheltenham)
* Webbers, Oxford
* Whiteheads (Bolton) - Closed 2001.
* Whiteleys (Bayswater) - Closed 1981.
* Wickhams (Mile End Road, London)
* G L Wilson (Dundee)
* Woodwards (Leamington Spa)