United Drapery Stores
Encyclopedia
United Drapery Stores, or UDS, was a British retail group that dominated the British high street
from the 1950s to the 1980s.
s in the London area, but by 1931 this had grown to 112 retail outlets. In 1932 it acquired the business of Stewart's Clothiers Ltd, bringing its number of outlets to 232. A further thirty-seven shops were added to the business in 1950 when it took over the Scottish clothes chain Claude Alexander. In 1953 it saw its biggest expansion through the acquisition of Prices Tailors Limited, a Leeds
multiple tailoring firm. Prices had been founded in 1907 by Henry Price
, and traded under the Fifty Shilling Tailors
brand, with 399 stores across the country. After the takeover by UDS, the chain was renamed John Collier
.
joining the group in 1963, and the forty-five stores of the Peter Pell clothing chain being taken over in 1964. It was reported that in 1966 alone UDS sold over 1,119,000 men's suits in Britain, making it one of the biggest clothing retailers in Britain at that time, rivalled only by the likes of Burtons and Hepworths.
A notable takeover by the UDS group was in 1958 when the then chairman Joseph Collier negotiated a takeover of the Allders
department stores group. Allders had been a single department store based in Croydon
, but it had gradually taken over a number of other family-run department stores, almost all of which were rebranded Allders during the Lyons' leadership in the 1970s.
, and there were several attempts by UDS to take over Burton's, most notably in 1967. This attempt was blocked by the British Government's Monopolies and Mergers Commission as being against the public interest
.
The Lyons family held only a minority share in UDS. In 1983 the group was acquired by Hanson Trust
, and was largely broken up. Many of the stores that formed the core of UDS, including the once ubiquitous Richard Shops
chain of women clothes retailers, ended up eventually being sold to Arcadia.
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Early history
The group was founded in 1927 and from the outset sought to grow through the takeover of other companies. The company started with five department storeDepartment store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
s in the London area, but by 1931 this had grown to 112 retail outlets. In 1932 it acquired the business of Stewart's Clothiers Ltd, bringing its number of outlets to 232. A further thirty-seven shops were added to the business in 1950 when it took over the Scottish clothes chain Claude Alexander. In 1953 it saw its biggest expansion through the acquisition of Prices Tailors Limited, a Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
multiple tailoring firm. Prices had been founded in 1907 by Henry Price
Henry Price (tailor)
Sir Henry PriceIn 1919 Henry Price opened a tailors shop in Silsden, then in the West Riding of Yorkshire, now in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire....
, and traded under the Fifty Shilling Tailors
Fifty Shilling Tailors
Fifty Shilling Tailors was a British chain of shops selling men's clothes.Founded in Leeds in 1905 by Henry Price, the chain expanded to over 399 stores across the country....
brand, with 399 stores across the country. After the takeover by UDS, the chain was renamed John Collier
John Collier (retailer)
John Collier is a former British chain of shops selling men's clothes.Founded in Leeds in 1907 by Henry Price, the chain expanded to over 399 stores across the country, most of which traded under the Fifty Shilling Tailor brand....
.
Later acquisitions
In 1954 UDS acquired Alexandre Limited, a Leeds-based multiple tailor owned by Bernard and Jack Lyons and their families. Bernard Lyons took control of the menswear operations and later became group Chairman and Chief Executive, while Jack moved to London and took on a variety of group roles. UDS continued the policy of expansion through acquisitions, with the twenty-seven shops of Brooks BrothersBrooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers is the oldest men's clothier chain in the United States. Founded in 1818 as a family business, the privately owned company is now owned by Retail Brand Alliance, also features clothing for women, and is headquartered on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York City.-History:On April 7,...
joining the group in 1963, and the forty-five stores of the Peter Pell clothing chain being taken over in 1964. It was reported that in 1966 alone UDS sold over 1,119,000 men's suits in Britain, making it one of the biggest clothing retailers in Britain at that time, rivalled only by the likes of Burtons and Hepworths.
A notable takeover by the UDS group was in 1958 when the then chairman Joseph Collier negotiated a takeover of the Allders
Allders
Allders is an independent department store in Croydon, established by Joshua Allder in 1862. It is the fourth-largest department store in the United Kingdom.The Croydon store was the flagship of a large chain of department stores in the UK...
department stores group. Allders had been a single department store based 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...
, but it had gradually taken over a number of other family-run department stores, almost all of which were rebranded Allders during the Lyons' leadership in the 1970s.
Final days
However, for the UDS menswear business the main rival was the Burton Group, today part of Arcadia GroupArcadia Group
The Arcadia Group Limited a British company that owns the high street clothing retailers Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Topman, Topshop, Wallis and BHS, and the out of town chain Outfit, which sells lines from the other group chains...
, and there were several attempts by UDS to take over Burton's, most notably in 1967. This attempt was blocked by the British Government's Monopolies and Mergers Commission as being against the public interest
Public interest
The public interest refers to the "common well-being" or "general welfare." The public interest is central to policy debates, politics, democracy and the nature of government itself...
.
The Lyons family held only a minority share in UDS. In 1983 the group was acquired by Hanson Trust
Hanson plc
Hanson plc is a British based international building materials company, headquartered in Maidenhead. Traded on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index for many years, the company was acquired by a division of German rival Heidelberg Cement in August 2007.-History:Hanson...
, and was largely broken up. Many of the stores that formed the core of UDS, including the once ubiquitous Richard Shops
Richard Shops
-History:Richard Shops was originally part of the clothes-selling empire United Drapery Stores, created in 1927 by the controversial Leeds-born businessman and philanthropist Jack Lyons...
chain of women clothes retailers, ended up eventually being sold to Arcadia.