Robert Dyas
Encyclopedia
Robert Dyas is a large UK retailer founded London 1872. The stores provide ranges of house wares, small electrical appliances, gardening products, kitchen wares, DIY, and consumer electronics throughout 98 stores, mainly in Greater London
and South East England
.
Robert Dyas survived several catastrophes including the Great Depression
and the Blitz
in which the head office, warehouse and 18 stores were destroyed.
In 1997, Robert Dyas's head office and warehouse burnt down in Croydon
; the head office is now in Leatherhead
, Surrey
.
In March 2004 Robert Dyas was bought by Change Capital Partners, a private equity firm
headed by former Marks & Spencer
chairman Luc Vandevelde.
By spring 2009, the company had come close to collapse with rumoured debts of £30 million, but was saved by a management buyout backed by Lloyds Banking Group
on 8 April. By September that year, the firm had taken steps to secure its viability through a debt-for-equity deal that gave its lenders a majority stake in the chain.
Robert Dyas's chief executive was Steven Round. He exited the company in February 2011
2010–2011 Robert Dyas started to roll out a revamped style for their stores, and is also increasing its online offering and the use of in-store web kiosks. July 2011 Steve McVey joined the company.
in the West and Solihull
in the West Midlands.
The product range is primarily focused on housewares and light DIY. Core departments include kitchenware, kitchen appliances, cleaning and laundry products, garden care, outdoor leisure and DIY tools and materials. Some home office and technology lines are also stocked, consisting of items such as telephones, printers, and accessories for computers and audio-visual items.
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
and South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
.
History
Robert Dyas emigrated from County Meath, Ireland setting up his own business in the city of London 1872. He opened his first shop with an inheritance of just £5 and by the time of his death at the age of 66 he had established 18 stores. His sons took over after that, followed by his two grandsons who died in 1961 and 2002.Robert Dyas survived several catastrophes including the Great Depression
Great Depression in the United Kingdom
The Great Depression in the United Kingdom, also known as the Great Slump, was a period of national economic downturn in the 1930s, which had its origins in the global Great Depression...
and the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
in which the head office, warehouse and 18 stores were destroyed.
In 1997, Robert Dyas's head office and warehouse burnt down in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
; the head office is now in Leatherhead
Leatherhead
Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.
In March 2004 Robert Dyas was bought by Change Capital Partners, a private equity firm
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
headed by former Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
chairman Luc Vandevelde.
By spring 2009, the company had come close to collapse with rumoured debts of £30 million, but was saved by a management buyout backed by Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Banking Group plc is a major British financial institution, formed through the acquisition of HBOS by Lloyds TSB in 2009. As at February 2010, HM Treasury held a 41% shareholding through UK Financial Investments Limited . The Group headquarters is located at 25 Gresham Street in London, with...
on 8 April. By September that year, the firm had taken steps to secure its viability through a debt-for-equity deal that gave its lenders a majority stake in the chain.
Robert Dyas's chief executive was Steven Round. He exited the company in February 2011
2010–2011 Robert Dyas started to roll out a revamped style for their stores, and is also increasing its online offering and the use of in-store web kiosks. July 2011 Steve McVey joined the company.
Stores and products
Robert Dyas currently operates from 98 standalone shops. Stores vary in size from a large 9000 sq ft (836.1 m²) right down to 1250 sq ft (116.1 m²). These are mainly found in London and the south east of England, but also exist as far away as BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in the West and Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
in the West Midlands.
The product range is primarily focused on housewares and light DIY. Core departments include kitchenware, kitchen appliances, cleaning and laundry products, garden care, outdoor leisure and DIY tools and materials. Some home office and technology lines are also stocked, consisting of items such as telephones, printers, and accessories for computers and audio-visual items.