Retail
- Halfords
With 387 stores across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Halfords is one of the largest non-food retailers in the UK. Around 11,000 product lines, an annual turn-over of in excess of 500 million pounds and a company history spanning more than a century, it can be considered a British business institution.
Founded as a local hardware store in Birmingham in 1892 by F W Rushbrooke, Halfords has since grown to establish its position as the leading retailer of car parts, cycles and accessories in the UK.
It was not until 1965 that the business became known as Halfords Limited. The years that followed saw Halfords open its 300th store and become part of the Burmah Group in 1969. The business moved to a custom-built head office and warehouse in Redditch, Worcestershire, where it remains to this day.
The eighties was a decade of change for Halfords, as it was one of the first retail groups to make the move from the high street to edge of town locations, recognizing customers' needs for bigger stores, more choice and convenient parking. It also introduced its well-known blue, red and white corporate identity. Two more changes of ownership followed with the Ward White Group purchasing the business in 1984 and then the acquisition of the Group by The Boots Company in 1989.
Since then, Halfords has gone from strength to strength, leading the revolution in out-of-town retailing, generating consistent growth in sales and profits over the last 10 years and clearly establishing itself as the UK market leader.
Within new style "Arcade" stores, customers benefit from added features including sub-shops for Bikehut, Audio, Parts, Ripspeed and Touring. More product ranges, specialist staff who are enthusiasts in their particular areas and a brighter, more contemporary shopping environment, are all attracting customers into stores.
In September 2002, Halfords was acquired by CVC Capital Partners from The Boots Company. In March 2003 Rob Templeman was appointed chairman and in June 2003, David Hamid was appointed Chief Executive Officer.
In June 2004, Halfords was floated on the London Stock Exchange as a FTSE top 250 company.
Industry: Retail
Revenue (2004): US$ 1.05 billion
No. of employees: 9,200
Website: www.halfords.com
Go to website: www.halfords.com
