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Lewis's Department Store, Liverpool

Lewis's was a department store group operating in the United Kingdom from 1856 to the 1990s. Only the original Liverpool store continues to trade under the Lewis's name. The company should not be confused with the still existing and totally separate department store chain John Lewis. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3648 × 2736 pixels, file size: 4. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3648 × 2736 pixels, file size: 4. ... The interior of a typical Macys department store. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... For the former (1856-1991) unrelated UK department store, see Lewiss. ...

History

The first Lewis's was opened in 1856 in Liverpool, England by David Lewis, as a men's and boy's clothing store, mostly manufacturing his own stock. In 1864 Lewis's branched out into women's clothing. In the 1870s the store expanded and added departments, including shoes in 1874 and tobacco in 1879. For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... David Lewis was an English merchant and philanthropist was born in London 1823 of Jewish origin. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... // The invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

The first Lewis's outside of Liverpool opened in nearby Manchester in 1877, and another, by personal suggestion from Joseph Chamberlain to his new Corporation Street in Birmingham in 1885. A fourth store opened in Sheffield in 1884 but failed to be profitable and was closed in 1888. This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Rt. ... Corporation Street is a main shopping street in central Birmingham, England. ... This article is about the British city. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Sheffield (disambiguation). ... Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For the toll-free telephone number see Toll-free telephone number Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Louis Cohen took over the business after Lewis's death, and oversaw a period of consolidation for the business.

After Louis Cohen's death, control passed to Harold and Rex Cohen, who took the company public in 1924. New stores were once again opened, in Glasgow (1929), Leeds (1932), Hanley in Stoke-on-Trent (1934) and Leicester in 1936. Many branches of Lewis's were generally the largest department stores in their respective localities. For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Leeds (disambiguation). ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map sources for Hanley at grid reference SJ8847 Disambiguation: Hanley may refer to Hanley, Canada. ... This page is about Stoke-on-Trent in England. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Leicester city centre, looking towards the Clock Tower Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city and unitary authority in the English East Midlands. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In 1951 the Lewis's group purchased the famous London department store Selfridges and later became part of the Sears Group headed by Charles Clore. Selfridges in Birmingham. ... Sir Charles Clore (1904-1979) was a British financier, retail and property magnate and philanthropist. ...

A branch was opened on Blackpool promenade, next to Blackpool Tower, in 1964. The building had a distinctive 1960s design, with a turquoise tiled exterior. It closed in 1993, building work was undertaken to remove some of the upper floors and the redeveloped site houses a Mecca bingo hall, with the ground floor space being subsequently occupied by Woolworths Group and a variety of small unit retailers. This article is about the town in England. ... Looking down to the road below through the glass floor The Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in the town of Blackpool, Lancashire, in Northern England (grid reference SD306360). ... Mecca Bingo is a division of the Rank Group. ... This article is about the British Woolworths Group plc, and its stores. ...

The company is now defunct. It went into administration in 1991 due to factors such as the then recession and failing to compete effectively with rivals. This resulted in Owen Owen buying up several branches of Lewis's (but retaining the Lewis's brand name on those purchased stores) and other branches including the Birmingham store closing down. The Leicester branch traded independently for a short while, following a management buyout, as 'Lewis's of Leicester', before finally closing. Administration is a procedure under the insolvency laws of a number of common law jurisdictions which functions as a rescue mechanism for insolvent companies and allows them to carry on running their business. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Owen Owen is an operator of department stores in the United Kingdom. ...

The only store continuing to trade as Lewis's is the Liverpool outlet, following the closure of the Manchester branch in 2001; the latter has since become a branch of Primark. This followed the sale of other branches of Lewis's from Owen Owen to other operators such as Debenhams and Allders during the 1990s. Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Penneys redirects here. ... Debenhams plc (LSE: DEB) is a retailer with a chain of department stores based in the United Kingdom. ... Allders in Croydon, the fourth largest department store in Britain Allders is a full service department store in Central Croydon. ...

Although the Liverpool store is still trading, it went into liquidation on February 28 2007 [1].

On March 23 2007 the Liverpool store was sold as a going concern to Vergo Retail Ltd, enabling the store to continue to trade as Lewis's [2].

Popular culture

• The statue above the main entrance to the Liverpool flagship store is a well-known local meeting place and was immortalised in the 1962 anthemic song "In My Liverpool Home" by Peter McGovern:

"We speak with an accent exceeding rare,

Meet under a statue exceedingly bare"

• This statue is known locally as "Dickie Lewis" for obvious reasons.
• Paul McCartney once worked as a temp at the Liverpool branch of Lewis's

Peter McGovern was a songwriter and activist. ... Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an Academy Award-winning English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. ... For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ...

Former locations

• Birmingham - closed 13 July 1991, currently on the ground floor a pub, The Square Peg, with offices above
• Blackpool
• Bristol - became John Lewis 1981-1998, then Bentalls 1998-2001 and House of Fraser 2002-2008, latterly becoming Primark when House of Fraser moves to new development
• Ellesmere Port - became a branch of Asda until 2006 when the site was converted into an indoor market, Asda having moved to larger premises nearby.
• Glasgow - currently a branch of Debenhams with ground floor units split to house various retailers
• Hanley - currently a branch of Debenhams
• Leeds - latterly Allders, closed 2005, currently in the process of being split into separate retail units including Sainsburys and TK Maxx with offices above
• Leicester - rebuilt in 1990s with only the tower remaining, occupied by various retailers including Marks & Spencer
• Manchester - closed 2001, currently occupied by Primark
• Oxford
• Oxford Street, London, Selfridges
• Preston
• Sheffield
• West Thurrock, Lakeside - became Bentalls, then Allders and currently Primark

This article is about the British city. ... This article is about the town in England. ... This article is about the English city. ... For the former (1856-1991) unrelated UK department store, see Lewiss. ... Bentalls is a department store in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England. ... House of Fraser is a British department store group with 61 stores (July 2007) across the country. ... Penneys redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the supermarket chain. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... Debenhams plc (LSE: DEB) is a retailer with a chain of department stores based in the United Kingdom. ... Map sources for Hanley at grid reference SJ8847 Disambiguation: Hanley may refer to Hanley, Canada. ... Debenhams plc (LSE: DEB) is a retailer with a chain of department stores based in the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Leeds (disambiguation). ... Allders in Croydon, the fourth largest department store in Britain Allders is a full service department store in Central Croydon. ... J Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsburys, which is a chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Leicester city centre, looking towards the Clock Tower Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city and unitary authority in the English East Midlands. ... Marks & Spencer (M&S) is a British retailer, with 760 stores in more than 30 countries around the world. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Penneys redirects here. ... This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... Oxford Street, with Centre Point in the background Oxford Street in 1875, looking west from the junction with Duke Street. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Selfridges in Birmingham. ... This article is about Preston, Lancashire. ... For other uses, see Sheffield (disambiguation). ... West Thurrock is a place in the borough of Thurrock in England. ... The Lakeside Shopping Centre is a large out-of-town shopping centre located in West Thurrock, in the borough of Thurrock, Essex just beyond the eastern boundary of Greater London. ... Bentalls is a department store in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England. ... Allders in Croydon, the fourth largest department store in Britain Allders is a full service department store in Central Croydon. ... Penneys redirects here. ...

External links

• Exploring the mothballed 5th floor at Lewis's