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| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1885; 139 years ago (1885) |
| Founder | John Wesley Hillard |
| Defunct | 1987; 37 years ago (1987) |
| Fate | Acquired and merged into Tesco |
| Successor | Tesco |
| Headquarters | Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire |
Key people | Peter Hartley (Executive Chairman) |
| Products | Groceries |
Hillards plc was a small supermarket chain from the North of England, bought out in a hostile takeover by Tesco in May 1987.
The company was founded by John Wesley Hillard in 1885, in the West Yorkshire town of Cleckheaton.[1] The first shop was opened in Lion Chambers there, and shortly after 1900, there were twenty shops operating as Lion Stores.[1] By 1951, there were over seventy stores, and by 1968, it had warehouse size stores in Wakefield, Lincoln and York.[1]
In 1970, the trade name Lion Stores was dropped in favour of Hillards and in 1972, the company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange.[1] Peter Hartley, a grandson of the founder, became executive chairman in 1983 and in May 1987, following a hostile bid, the business was acquired by Tesco for £220m.[2][3][4]
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