Did you know that many famous companies, clothing brands and shop chains started their business in Leeds? In the past centuries, this city actively developed its textile industry and built new plants and factories. Thanks to the Industrial Revolution, the small settlement of Leeds began to evolve and became a large city with excellent logistics. The well-known British Arcadia Group Ltd originates from this industrial city too. Learn more about it at leedska.
History of creation: from a small business to a large-scale company
Arcadia Group Ltd began its history as a small business called The Cross-Tailoring Company in 1903. It was founded by Lithuanian immigrant Montague Burton in Chesterfield. The company was engaged in the production of men’s clothing, tailoring and retail trade. Seven years later, the headquarters of The Cross-Tailoring Company moved from Chesterfield to Leeds. Then it was renamed Burton.
Burton continued to develop despite the outbreak of the First World War. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1929 and owned 400 stores, as well as factories and plants. It had a large factory in Leeds too.
Company development
After the Second World War, the Burton company introduced novelties into the industry. Thus, its customers got the opportunity to purchase a ready-made suit, which included a jacket, pants, vest, shirt and underwear. The combination was called The Full Monty.
Burton continued to develop and acquired the Peter Robinson chain in 1946. The chain was renamed Topshop and it started selling fashionable women’s clothes. However, the first Topshop stores were opened in 1974. Still, the Burton company wasn’t focused only on men’s or women’s clothing. In 1966, the company became the official suit supplier for the England national football team for the World Cup.
Burton didn’t stop there and acquired the Dorothy Perkins chain in 1979. After such an investment, the company entered the mainstream market of women’s clothing. As a result, Dorothy Perkins was focused on a female audience, while the Burton brand supplied men’s clothing.
The new Principles chain was launched in 1984. It was a project intended for female customers who follow fashion trends and have a higher income. A year later, Principles extended to selling men’s clothing as well. In that period, the company also bought the largest department store group in Great Britain, Debenhams, and the men’s clothing company Colliers.
In the 1990s, the company experienced a decline in sales. Accordingly, the Burton Group began to review the working conditions of some of its stores and outlets. The company operated 1,600 stores in the early 1990s but then decided to terminate the lease of approximately 380 ones. The first steps towards online shopping were taken in 1996.
Further fate of the Burton Group
The Burton Group continued to expand and in 1998, it acquired the retail network of designer children’s, men’s and women’s clothing Wade-Smith. That decision allowed the company to expand its presence in the children’s clothing market.
Then the company was renamed to Arcadia Group plc. In 2002, the company was bought by Taveta Investments, which belongs to Philip Green’s family. In the same year, some of the company’s chains were sold as well.
Plans to close Arcadia Group Ltd were announced in 2019. As a result, its 17 stores were closed in Great Britain and another six in Ireland. The company has declared bankruptcy but continues to sell clothes. For example, you can buy its products online in North America.
Interesting facts about clothes
You have already learned the history of Arcadia Group Ltd’s creation. However, we also want to tell you about some interesting clothing-related facts.
- T-shirts are considered the most popular clothing item in modern society. Some sources claim that they have become popular thanks to military men. However, there is also information that t-shirts have been first worn by sailors.
- Clothes used to be chosen to fit the colour of the child’s eyes or hair. Many parents are used to girls wearing pink and boys wearing blue. However, such a trend was introduced in the 40s of the 20th century.
- Sweaters appeared only in the 19th century. However, at first, they were worn by those who wanted to lose weight because it helped them sweat a lot.
- A few hundred years ago, there was no such a concept as children’s clothes. Clothes for children were sewn the same way as for adults but in smaller sizes. That is why they weren’t so convenient.
We hope that our informational article was interesting and you learned more about your hometown and the history of such a large-scale company.
And what is your attitude to clothes? Do you often go shopping? We are looking forward to your comments.