history

FromOLDCHARNEYToThe homeof familyvalueExploring the history of Wilkinsons

1937Tony Wilkinson born.❜❜FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN A LEICESTER STREETTO OVER 300 STORES AND A £1 BILLION TURNOVER,THIS IS THE REMARKABLE STORY OF WILKINSONS.I always like tolook people in theeye and know inmy heart thatthey are gettinga good deal.❜❜James Kemsey Wilkinson,founder1914World War Iis declared.1918World War Iends.JK’s brother Donald had his ownhardware business in Birmingham:Wilkinson (Handsworth) Brothersconsisting of 4 stores. In itsearly days Handsworth brothershelped Wilkinsons with stock andultimately 2 Handsworth storesbecame Wilkinsons stores.1930 JK and his fiancée MaryCooper open the first WilkinsonCash Store at 151, CharnwoodStreet, Leicester.The BBCstartsbroadcastingits firstregular TVservice.1932 A secondshop opens inWigston Magna,Leicester.1934 JK and Maryare married at 8am on22 October at St PetersChurch, Highfields,Leicester. The coupleare both back in theshop by 11am.1937 JK’s brother Johnjoins him as a director ofWilkinsons, holding thefort during the war years.“Mr John”, as he was known,worked with Wilkinsons untilhis death in 1956.1938-9 Wilkinsons secures premises inSyston, including offices and warehousing.Six more stores open by 1939.The first purpose-builtwarehouse opens onBrighton Road, Leicester.1938Supermanwas born.1939WorldWar II isdeclared.1906 James Kemsey Wilkinson was born.He would be known to many simply as ‘JK’.1920193019311932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939

THE NAME CHANGES BUT THE DEDICATIONTO HARD WORK AND VALUE STAYS THE SAME.1941 Wilkinson Cash Storeschanges its name to WilkinsonHardware Stores Limited.1948 NationalHealth Servicelaunches.1949 Peter Wilsonjoins as purchaseledger clerk andlater becomes MD.1948 OlympicGames open atWembley Stadiumin London.THE DEMAND FOR DIY AND THE OPENINGOF THE BIGGEST STORE TO DATE.1952The barcode isinvented.1953 The firstcolour TV sets goon sale in the USA1959 BrianFairhurst joins asassistant to thecompany secretary,Peter Wilson.11 storesnow open,with anannual turnoverof £300k.1956 Barbara becomessecretary to her father,JK. Barbara then marriesand has her first child,Karin, in 1964.1950s Wilkinsons meets consumerdemand for labour-saving devicesas DIY takes off in the home.1940 JK signs up toserve in WWII with theRoyal Armoured Corpsand later volunteersas a Bevin Boy.1941 L.M. Cooper isset up to administer thewarehousing and wholesaleside of the business.Three shops closetemporarily during thewar, but swiftly re-openonce the war ends in 1945.1958 The biggest store to date opens atCharles Street in Leicester.Barbara Wilkinson born.1940 19501941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959

TONY JOINS THE FAMILY BUSINESS ANDWE GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH.1960 Tony joins the familybusiness as Branch Managerat Charles Street, Leicester. Hiscommitment to the people whowork for Wilkinsons soon seeshim become the company’s firstPersonnel Manager.❜❜Wilkinsons startedto grow outsideLeicester, our pacedeveloped steadily,compelling us tomove to biggerpremises in 1970in Worksop.Tony Wilkinson❜❜1963 TheMeltonMowbray storeopens, thefirst outsideLeicester.1966 Pamperslaunches a revolutionarynew design indisposable nappies.1966 England win thefootball World Cup.1964 JK becomesChair and PeterWilson becomes thecompany’s second MD.1964 KarinSwann born.1969 28 storesnow open with anannual turnover of£2.4 million.The searchbegins for anew head officeand warehouselocation.1969 NeilArmstrong isthe first manto walk on themoon.1967 The CharlesStreet store startsselling food.1968 LisaWilkinsonborn.1960 1970OUR ‘WILKO’ OWN LABEL APPEARS ANDWE START TO TRADE WITH THE FAR EAST.1972 Tonytakes over asChairman andoversees a periodof unparalleledgrowth over thenext 33 years.1970 A new warehouse and head officeopens in Carlton-in-Lindrick, Nottinghamshire.Tony, as Logistics Director, is heavily involvedin the installation of the highly efficient ‘highbay’ stacking system.1971 United Kingdom andRepublic of Ireland switch todecimal currency.1974 BIClaunches the firstdisposable razor.1974 The own-labelrange expands to24 products.1973 Paint becomes thefirst ever own-label product,under the name Wilko.1975 Brian Fairhursttakes over as MD.1979 Thecompany grows to36 stores aroundthe UK with anannual turnover of£15.6 million.Wilkinsons startsto trade withbuying agentsTaimarque in theFar East.1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979

EVERYDAY ITEMS TAKE CENTRE STAGE ANDWE ENTER THE COMPUTER AGE.1980 After a buying andmerchandising review,Wilkinsons stops sellingbig, bulky items suchas lawnmowers andgreenhouses and insteadconcentrates on sellingeveryday items that canbe taken home in ashopping bag.19801981 IBMintroducesthe first PC.1987 Tony sets up theEmployee Trust Fund tosupport employees who faceunexpected financial hardshipsand to help with the educationand training of their children.The Hardware TradeJournal names WilkinsonsRetailer of the Year.Wilkinsons now has a range of13,000 products selling to24 million customers.1980s In the early-to-mid 1980s – after 20years of bringing up her children – Barbarabecomes more involved in the business byvisiting every store on the estate.Wilkinsons opens a total of 42 storesin the 1980s.1985 Live Aidconcerts take placein London andPhiladelphia.1989 TimBerners-Leeinvents theWorld WideWeb.198978 storesnow openaround the UKturning over£81 millionannually.WE CELEBRATE TWO IMPORTANT MILESTONESAND SAY A SAD GOODBYE.1990 Wilkinsonscelebrates 60 yearsin business by slashingprices for customers.1992 Tony unveils the company’s ‘Vision ofthe Future’ at a seminar for 300 managershosted by John Humphrys. Tony sets thetarget for Wilkinsons to become “the leaderin its field by the turn of the century”.19901991 Gordon Brownjoins as HR Director.1992 The 100thstore opens.1995BarbaraWilkinsonappointed tothe Boardof Directors.Computers andan updated EPOSsystem installed.Gordon Brownbecomes fourth MD.1996 A new St. Helen’sstore opens withthemed areas and40,000 product lines.1993 BrianFairhurst retires.Barbara becomesinvolved with newstore openings,something that shecontinues to do.1997 JK Wilkinsonpasses away inDecember.Wilkinsons awardedthe Investors in Peoplestandard, which hasbeen held ever since.1999 152 stores nowopen around theUK with an annualturnover of£564 million.1995 A new distribution centreopens in Manton Wood, housing thefastest sorting system in the UK.A new head office building calledJK House is constructed in 1998.1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 19991994ChannelTunnelopens.

WE GO ONLINE, OPEN UP WILKO ASIAAND VENTURE NORTH OF THE BORDER.2000 Mary Wilkinsonpasses away in January.2000 A new distribution centreopens in Magor, South Wales.20002002 QueenElizabeth IIcelebrates herGolden Jubilee.2005 Tony retires. In his timeas Chairman, Wilkinsons hasgrown from 11 stores to 246.Before he retired, Tonycontinued to sponsor theWilkinson Community andSupport Fund to aid localcommunities and charities, whichhe founded and championedduring his time as Chairman.Barbara also retires from theBoard of Directors.Lisa and Karin becomefamily directors and chairs.Wilko Plus launches and receivesits first ever order in May.2002 Wilkinsons undertakesa comprehensive team membertraining programme.2003 Annual salesturnover reaches£1 billion.2006StuartMitchelljoins asCEO.2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 200620072007The firstWilkinson Pluscatalogue isproduced.2008 Our brand isupdated, and the firstnew-look stores openin Sheffield, Leicesterand Walton-on-Thames.Wilkinson Asia opens.2008 20092009 Thefirst storesopen inScotland.2009 BarackObama becomesthe first AfricanAmericanpresident ofthe USA.A GREAT NEW LOOK FOR A GREATLOOKING FUTURE…802010 Wilkinsonscelebrates80 years.20102010+ The official rollout of there-brand programme begins with80 stores: and Wilkinsons plans toreach the 500 store mark over thenext three years.Karin and Lisa aim to keep movingWilkinsons forward, making its futureeven more exciting than its past.