Timpson
Timpson Ltd is the largest service retailer in the UK, with 1300 shops across the UK and Ireland. Its main services include key cutting, shoe repairs, watch repairs, engraving, phone repairs, photo processing and dry cleaning.
Over half of Timpson shops are now based in out-of-town supermarket sites, predominantly in "pod" stores that are constructed off-site and driven to their location in the supermarket car park. There are currently 400 pods in operation.
Timpson Direct was established in 2020 to develop the non-retail businesses within the Timpson Group. This includes self-service photo ID booths, self-service photo printing kiosks, Timpson Locksmiths, Timpson online and international franchising.
Max Spielmann
Max Spielmann is a specialist photo printing service chain in the UK, with 420 stores across the country. Acquired by the Timpson Group in 2008,[14] the business was founded in 1951 by Wirral-based David Graham and his business partner, David Reed, and originally operated as a photo production service for chemists and hardware stores.[15]
The first high street shops were called "Merseyside Photographic", before adopting the "Max Spielmann" name in the 1970s to focus on customers' access to German cameras, which were considered the best on the market at the time. Although some customers believe Max Spielmann founded the business, this is just a name for the company, rather than a real person.
The business was owned by the Graham family until 2001, when it was sold to the Bowie Castlebank Group, before getting bought out of administration by Timpson in 2008. Max Spielmann has since expanded its range of photo services, and now has shops in 420 locations across the UK, including its photo stores in Tesco and Asda supermarkets.
Johnsons The Cleaners
Johnsons The Cleaners is a provider of specialist dry cleaning, textile repairs, photo printing, and key cutting, with more than 200 shops across the UK. It was bought by the Timpson Group in 2017, but the business' origins go back to 1817, when the Johnson Brothers set up their silk dyeing business in Liverpool, before amalgamating with two dry cleaning businesses in 1920.[16]
The group expanded to 12 companies between 1920 and 1980, which were then restructured in 1995 when Johnson Cleaners Ltd was formed.[16] The business opened its specialist centre in Rugby that same year, to meet the growing demand for specialist dry cleaning services across the country.
In 2003, Johnsons co-founded GreenEarth Cleaning,[17] the world's largest brand of environmentally friendly dry cleaning, and now uses this product exclusively in all of its dry cleaning shops. In 2014, the business launched a dry cleaning partnership with Waitrose supermarkets,[18]
Snappy Snaps
Snappy Snaps is the fourth-largest photo service chain in the UK, consisting of 115 franchise stores and 16 company-owned stores. Snappy Snaps was founded in 1983[20] and the first franchise shop was opened in 1987, with many others following (especially around London) before the franchise was bought by the Timpson Group in 2011.[21]
Jeeves of Belgravia
Jeeves of Belgravia is a British multinational retailer specialising in dry cleaning and garment care. Established in Belgravia, London, in 1969,[22] the business was purchased by Johnson Service Group in 2003,[23] which was then acquired by the Timpson Group in 2017.[9] The company has stores across 17 cities around the world, including New York, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Kuala Lumpur.
The business has held a Royal Warrant since 1980,[24] for delivering dry cleaning services to the Prince of Wales.
The Watch Lab
The Watch Lab specialises in watch repair services and has 20 shops across the UK, from Glasgow to Southampton. The Watch Lab Holdings was purchased by the Timpson Group in April 2021.
Flock Inns
The Flock Inns group of pubs is also part of the Timpson Group and run by Roisin Timpson, wife of James Timpson. This includes The White Eagle in Rhoscolyn, The Oystercatcher in Rhosneigr, and The Partridge in Stretton, Warrington.
