Moores Stores
Moores Stores was started as a single grocery store by William Moore in 1907.[50] In 1935, the company was made public and had grown to 114 stores based in the North East. The company continued to grow before and after the war by purchasing smaller grocery business so by the early 1950s it had grown to nearly 600 shops trading under their original names, including Frank Farrands, Binyons, John Kay (Kays Modern Food Stores) and T. Seymour Mead to name a few.[50][51] It was at the time the third largest grocery company behind Home and Colonial and International Tea Co. Stores.[52] It was during the 1950s that Wright's Biscuits bought their shareholding in the business, with William Webster becoming Moores chairman. In 1958, the total net assets of Wright's Biscuits were about the same as Moores Stores at around £2.5 million.[50]
The 24 Tyneside grocery business of Hanlons was added in 1960, along with the 87 strong Nottingham chain of J D Marsden.[53] In 1961, Moores added the East of Scotland grocery business of James Walker & Sons, with their further 14 stores added to their 18 Hay & Co stores based in Edinburgh.[54] The company continued to expand during 1962, purchasing the 45 store Southend on Sea based grocery chain of H. Garon (founded in 1880), and the 175 store Yorkshire chain of Thrift Stores, while they purchased 102 stores of Mence Smith, the ironmongers, from owner Timothy Whites.[55][56][57][58] Of the 102 Mence Smith stores purchased only 36 were converted to grocery stores, with the rest leased or sold off to generate funds, while H. Garon's bakery and two of its buildings were sold to raise £791,000. The company had nearly 1,000 branches at this time, however only 125 were self service and five of these were supermarkets at this time.[55][59] William Webster told the annual AGM that he was "bitterly against the high costs of acquiring supermarket sites" and that "supermarket enthusiasts are in danger of over-reaching themselves". He stated that between Wright's and Moores they would be planning no more than 30 big supermarkets.[59][60]
During 1963 it was announced that Moores subsidiary H. Garon, along with Debenhams and British Rail had agreed to develop a site in the High Street, Southend, for a department store, a supermarket, two other stores and an office block.[61][62][63] The company grew by purchasing further grocery stores, including chains John Favers and A.E. Smith from Scribbans-Kemp, the 13 branches of George Barr and Bells (Cash Grocers).[64][65][66] In 1966, Webster stated "Modernisation of warehouses and distribution centres has proceeded steadily over the past two years, while it is planned to speed up expansion into supermarkets and larger self-service stores, a considerable number will open in the later half of 1967 or early 1968. The closure of small counter service branches and the conversion of others to self-service will continue. In the year end April 1, 1967, 129 branches were closed and 44 converted. At the year end, the group had 663 counter shops and 337 self-service or supermarkets.
These included new supermarkets opening in Ripley and Whitley Bay and the purchase of the 21 store south east based grocery chain of Cave Austin and Company from Burton, Son and Sanders of Ipswich.[68][69][70][71] In 1968, Moores Stores were listed at number 402 in The Times 500 Leading Companies in Britain and Overseas,[72] but the company announced a drop in profits and stated that government policies would see food prices rise.[73] By 1970, Moores was still one of the four largest grocery groups in the United Kingdom,[74]
