...instore
Encyclopedia
...instore was a chain of retail stores in the United Kingdom
selling a range of products and principally concentrating on value home-ware items.
The company is based in Huddersfield
, West Yorkshire
but ironically does not have a store in the town: the nearest is 5 miles (8 km) away at Ravensthorpe Shopping Park, Dewsbury. The company has over 5,000 employees.
The ...instore name was created as part of a major rebranding of the existing, value-led Poundstretcher
business that had been trading since 1981. In September 2002 the company concluded a programme of rebranding half its Poundstretcher stores as "...instore" in an attempt to reposition the business as a more mid-market retailer. Trading subsidiaries What Everyone Wants, Your More Stores and the Famous Brunswick Shoe Warehouse were also disposed of at this time. In July 2005 the company adopted the name of Instore plc, replacing the previous Brown & Jackson plc name.
In 2006, a new chief executive concluded that the re-branding was not working and from 2007, new stores were opened as Poundstretcher stores. In January 2008, the company acquired 33 Ponden Mill stores under license from the administrators of the company, along with some rights to the Coloroll
brand.
The company continues to operate both ...instore and Poundstretcher brands, but as of 2009 has stated it intends to revert its core estate to the Poundstretcher brand.
had grown to a business consisting of 338 stores by 2004. Roughly half of the stores were converted to the ...instore format by the end of 2002 and the Pounstretcher business began to marketed jointly with ...instore outlets, sharing the same offers and slogan.
By 2009, the company had deemed the rebranding exercise a failure and ...instore shops are expected to revert to the Poundstretcher fascia. A new Poundstretcher Extra format has also been developed for larger stores.
After selling Poundstretcher, Mr. Appell and Mr. Fearnley became involved in a failing retail business, United News Shops, which they managed to revitalise. Growing to become the largest convenience store and cafeteria
business servicing British hospitals, United News Shops was sold to WH Smith in March 2008.
during the 1970s
as What Every Woman Wants, and became a national chain in 1990 after being sold by Gerald and Vera Weisfeld for £50 million. The 130-store business was sold to Tradegro late in 2002, but went into administration a month later.
for the year would be likely to be well below expectations. This was blamed on difficulties experienced at the Huddersfield distribution centre following the introduction of a new software system and poor trading conditions. The company later reported that it was making progress in overcoming the problems it had experienced and that sales growth for the six week period ending 13 January 2007 was 4.6%.
In May 2007, Peter Burdon, former Chief Executive of Thorntons
, was installed as Chief Executive.
In July 2008, the company rejected a £11.4 million cash offer for the business, arguing that the chain is being undervalued. The bid was made by Seaham Investments, who already control 30.6% of the company.
In January 2009, a trading notice issued following the Christmas trading period was of a disappointment to the company in which they said sales were not as expected. Later in the month the final year periods profits were announced at a £4-5 million pound loss.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
selling a range of products and principally concentrating on value home-ware items.
The company is based in Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
but ironically does not have a store in the town: the nearest is 5 miles (8 km) away at Ravensthorpe Shopping Park, Dewsbury. The company has over 5,000 employees.
Instore plc's corporate history.
Instore plc, formerly Brown & Jackson plc, is the parent company of "...instore", operating 340 stores across the UK also including Poundstretcher- and Ponden Mill-branded sites.The ...instore name was created as part of a major rebranding of the existing, value-led Poundstretcher
Poundstretcher
Poundstretcher is a chain of discount stores operating in the United Kingdom. It is based in Deighton, England, near Huddersfield on the A62.-History:...
business that had been trading since 1981. In September 2002 the company concluded a programme of rebranding half its Poundstretcher stores as "...instore" in an attempt to reposition the business as a more mid-market retailer. Trading subsidiaries What Everyone Wants, Your More Stores and the Famous Brunswick Shoe Warehouse were also disposed of at this time. In July 2005 the company adopted the name of Instore plc, replacing the previous Brown & Jackson plc name.
In 2006, a new chief executive concluded that the re-branding was not working and from 2007, new stores were opened as Poundstretcher stores. In January 2008, the company acquired 33 Ponden Mill stores under license from the administrators of the company, along with some rights to the Coloroll
Coloroll
Coloroll is a United Kingdom wallpaper brand, currently owned by retailer ...instore.Developed from a family owned wallpaper company founded in the 1970s, during the 1980s Coloroll Group became a dominant publicly listed home furnishings business, which collapsed in 1990 through excessive debt...
brand.
The company continues to operate both ...instore and Poundstretcher brands, but as of 2009 has stated it intends to revert its core estate to the Poundstretcher brand.
Poundstretcher
Established in 1981 by Paul Appell and Stephen Fearnley, PoundstretcherPoundstretcher
Poundstretcher is a chain of discount stores operating in the United Kingdom. It is based in Deighton, England, near Huddersfield on the A62.-History:...
had grown to a business consisting of 338 stores by 2004. Roughly half of the stores were converted to the ...instore format by the end of 2002 and the Pounstretcher business began to marketed jointly with ...instore outlets, sharing the same offers and slogan.
By 2009, the company had deemed the rebranding exercise a failure and ...instore shops are expected to revert to the Poundstretcher fascia. A new Poundstretcher Extra format has also been developed for larger stores.
After selling Poundstretcher, Mr. Appell and Mr. Fearnley became involved in a failing retail business, United News Shops, which they managed to revitalise. Growing to become the largest convenience store and cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
business servicing British hospitals, United News Shops was sold to WH Smith in March 2008.
'What Everyone Wants' subsidiary
What Everyone Wants was a British chain of discount stores formerly operated by Brown & Jackon. It was founded in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
during the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
as What Every Woman Wants, and became a national chain in 1990 after being sold by Gerald and Vera Weisfeld for £50 million. The 130-store business was sold to Tradegro late in 2002, but went into administration a month later.
Profit Warnings
During December 2006, the company issued a warning that its profitsProfit (accounting)
In accounting, profit can be considered to be the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market whatever it is that is accounted as an enterprise in terms of the component costs of delivered goods and/or services and any operating or other expenses.-Definition:There are...
for the year would be likely to be well below expectations. This was blamed on difficulties experienced at the Huddersfield distribution centre following the introduction of a new software system and poor trading conditions. The company later reported that it was making progress in overcoming the problems it had experienced and that sales growth for the six week period ending 13 January 2007 was 4.6%.
In May 2007, Peter Burdon, former Chief Executive of Thorntons
Thorntons
Thorntons is a UK chocolate company established by Joseph William Thornton in 1911. Thorntons today is a £180 million turnover company with nearly 400 shops and cafes and around 200 franchises together with internet, mail order and commercial services...
, was installed as Chief Executive.
In July 2008, the company rejected a £11.4 million cash offer for the business, arguing that the chain is being undervalued. The bid was made by Seaham Investments, who already control 30.6% of the company.
In January 2009, a trading notice issued following the Christmas trading period was of a disappointment to the company in which they said sales were not as expected. Later in the month the final year periods profits were announced at a £4-5 million pound loss.