Robbs
Encyclopedia
Robbs is a mid-size department store in Hexham
, owned by Beales. It was set up and created in 1819 by William Robb and expanded in the 1920s and 1980s respectively. It has had a long and extravagant history. It has been owned by Merchant Retail and Owen Owen
in the past, before it was bought by the newly formed Vergo Retail
in 2007.
On 7 May 2010 Vergo was placed into administration, with MCR appointed as the administrators. On 11 May 2010 it was announced that there would be ten store closures, including Robbs, within the next four weeks unless a buyer was found. By 21 May 2010 Beales had lodged a formal notice of interest in Robbs of Hexham, whilst the administrators asked the Buccleuch Group, owners of the building, and Northumberland County Council
to waive rent and rates for ten weeks, to allow the business to be continued to be marketed as a going concern. On 4 June 2010 Robbs was sold to Beales for £250,000, saving 140 jobs. Beales aims to return the store to profitability over time.
Hexham
Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
, owned by Beales. It was set up and created in 1819 by William Robb and expanded in the 1920s and 1980s respectively. It has had a long and extravagant history. It has been owned by Merchant Retail and Owen Owen
Owen Owen
Owen Owen was a Liverpool-based operator of department stores in the United Kingdom.- The man :Owen Owen was born in October 1847 and died on Easter Sunday in 1910 at the age of 62....
in the past, before it was bought by the newly formed Vergo Retail
Vergo Retail
Vergo Retail Ltd was a department store business based in Liverpool, England, founded in 2007 and currently in administration. Vergo Retail ran 20 shops, consisting of nine department stores, including Lewis's of Liverpool, Robbs of Hexham, Joplings of Sunderland and Derrys of Plymouth and four...
in 2007.
On 7 May 2010 Vergo was placed into administration, with MCR appointed as the administrators. On 11 May 2010 it was announced that there would be ten store closures, including Robbs, within the next four weeks unless a buyer was found. By 21 May 2010 Beales had lodged a formal notice of interest in Robbs of Hexham, whilst the administrators asked the Buccleuch Group, owners of the building, and Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council is a unitary authority in North East England. It was originally formed in 1889 as the council for the administrative county of Northumberland and reformed in 1974 to cover a the newly formed non-metropolitan county of Northumberland...
to waive rent and rates for ten weeks, to allow the business to be continued to be marketed as a going concern. On 4 June 2010 Robbs was sold to Beales for £250,000, saving 140 jobs. Beales aims to return the store to profitability over time.