Morleys Stores Ltd
Morleys Stores Ltd is a British independent department-store group operating stores in Greater London and southern England, alongside furniture and retail investment businesses.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Morleys Stores Ltd is a privately operated British department-store group whose roots lie in the Morley & Lanceley store opened in Brixton, south London. The business has developed through a combination of organic expansion, acquisitions and continued operation of established local department-store names. Rather than presenting every branch under a single national identity, Morleys has generally preserved the identities of several acquired businesses, including Pearsons, Roomes, Elys, Selby's and Camp Hopson. This gives the group a multi-banner structure associated with traditional independent department stores rather than a uniform chain format. The group’s activities extend beyond consumer retail. Its businesses include department stores selling fashion, home goods, beauty, gifts and other non-food merchandise; a furniture-centred business-to-business supply operation, Morley's of Bicester Ltd; and Camp Hopson, a Newbury department store and furniture centre. The furniture operation developed from contract-furniture trading associated with the Brixton business in 1929 and later moved to Bicester. It subsequently acquired Duncan Roberts Ltd in 2002 and Principal Furniture Ltd in 2005. Morleys expanded its retail portfolio during the late 2000s and 2010s. It acquired Roomes Fashion and Home in Upminster in 2009, bought Pearsons stores in Enfield and Bishop's Stortford in 2010, and rebranded Smith Bros in Tooting as Morleys in November 2010. The Bishop's Stortford branch later closed in 2012. In November 2014, the group acquired Camp Hopson of Newbury, a business with roots reaching back to nineteenth-century furniture and drapery enterprises. Morleys also took over the former British Home Stores premises at the Broadway Shopping Centre in Bexleyheath, opening a new store in spring 2017. Its portfolio has included both Morleys-branded locations and stores trading under local names. The 2025 store estate included Morleys branches in Bexleyheath and Brixton, Pearsons in Enfield, Selby's in Holloway, Camp Hopson in Newbury, Roomes in Upminster and Elys in Wimbledon. The Tooting Morleys store closed on 30 April 2025, while the former Bodgers store in Ilford had closed in 2018. In March 2025, Morleys announced that it had taken on the lease of Jolly's department store on Milsom Street in Bath, one of the United Kingdom’s oldest department stores. The site was scheduled to reopen fully after refurbishment in October 2026. Morleys is also a member of Associated Independent Stores, a buying group serving hundreds of independent retailers with textiles and other non-food merchandise. This membership supports purchasing and supplier access while allowing the group’s stores to retain local identities. In November 2023, Morleys invested £5.5 million in Knoops, a chocolate café business, indicating an interest in complementary retail and hospitality concepts beyond conventional department stores. The group therefore combines regional department-store retailing, furniture supply, property and store development, and selective investment in adjacent consumer businesses.
History
Morleys Stores is named after the original Morley & Lanceley shop in Brixton, south London. The group’s wider history also incorporates Camp Hopson of Newbury, whose constituent businesses have much older roots. Joseph Hopson established a furniture business on West Street in Newbury in 1854, while Alfred Camp opened a drapery bazaar on Northbrook Street in 1886. The two businesses remained separate until 1920, when Paul Hopson, Joseph Hopson’s grandson, married Alfred Camp’s daughter, Norah. The family businesses were subsequently combined as Camp Hopson. The Brixton business began trading in contract furniture in 1929. Its furniture activities later expanded and moved to Bicester, creating the basis for Morley’s of Bicester Ltd, a business-to-business furniture supply subsidiary. That operation acquired Duncan Roberts Ltd in 2002 and Principal Furniture Ltd in 2005, strengthening the group’s position in contract and commercial furniture supply. Morleys’ department-store estate grew through acquisitions of established local retailers. In 2009, it acquired Roomes Fashion and Home in Upminster. In 2010, it purchased the Pearsons stores in Enfield and Bishop’s Stortford. Smith Bros in Tooting was rebranded as Morleys on 1 November 2010, while the Bishop’s Stortford Pearsons branch closed during 2012. The group acquired Camp Hopson in November 2014, bringing the Newbury department store and furniture centre into the wider Morleys portfolio. In November 2016, Morleys confirmed that it had secured the former British Home Stores premises at the Broadway Shopping Centre in Bexleyheath. The replacement department store opened in spring 2017. The group’s operating model has generally allowed acquired businesses to retain local names and identities. Alongside the Morleys-branded branches, the portfolio has included Pearsons in Enfield, Selby’s in Holloway, Roomes in Upminster, Elys in Wimbledon and Camp Hopson in Newbury. Bodgers in Ilford was among the former businesses and closed in 2018. Morleys’ published financial information for the year to January 2014 reported group profit of £5.6 million on turnover of £90.6 million. These figures relate to that specific accounting period and should not be treated as current performance indicators. The group is a member of Associated Independent Stores, a buying organisation supplying non-food goods to hundreds of independent and small-to-medium-sized retail outlets. In November 2023, Morleys invested £5.5 million in Knoops Chocolate, a chocolate café chain. In March 2025, it announced an agreement to take on the lease of Jolly’s department store on Milsom Street in Bath. Jolly’s had been closed by its previous occupant, House of Fraser, and Morleys planned a full reopening following refurbishment in October 2026. The group also closed its Tooting store on 30 April 2025. These developments show a continuing strategy of selective portfolio change: adding distinctive regional stores and adjacent businesses while withdrawing from locations that no longer form part of the group’s operating estate.
- 2025
Jolly’s Bath lease announced
[1]Morleys announced plans to take on Jolly’s department store in Bath and reopen it after refurbishment.
- 2025
Tooting store closes
[1]The Morleys store in Tooting closed on 30 April.
- 2023
Investment in Knoops Chocolate
[1]Morleys invested £5.5 million in the Knoops chocolate café chain.
- 2017
Bexleyheath store opens
[1]A new Morleys store opened at the Broadway Shopping Centre in premises formerly occupied by British Home Stores.
- 2014
Camp Hopson is acquired
[1]Morleys purchased Camp Hopson of Newbury, including its department store and furniture centre.
- 2012
Bishop’s Stortford store closes
[1]The Pearsons store in Bishop’s Stortford closed during the year.
- 2010
Pearsons is acquired and Smith Bros is rebranded
[1]Morleys purchased Pearsons stores in Enfield and Bishop’s Stortford, and Smith Bros in Tooting adopted the Morleys name on 1 November.
- 2009
Roomes joins the group
[1]Morleys acquired Roomes Fashion and Home in Upminster.
- 2005
Principal Furniture Ltd is acquired
[1]The group’s furniture activities expanded through the acquisition of Principal Furniture Ltd.
- 2002
Duncan Roberts Ltd is acquired
[1]Morleys’ furniture operation acquired Duncan Roberts Ltd.
Products and positioning
A regional independent department-store group that combines locally recognised store brands with central group support, traditional service-oriented retailing, furniture expertise and selective expansion into complementary consumer businesses.
Department stores
Department-store retail
Morleys operates regional department stores offering a broad mix of non-food merchandise, including clothing, textiles, home products, beauty, gifts and accessories. The group uses both the Morleys name and retained local trading names, enabling individual stores to maintain their community identity while benefiting from group purchasing and management support.
Business-to-business furniture supply · 1929
Morley's of Bicester Ltd
Morley's of Bicester Ltd is the group’s furniture supply subsidiary. Its origins lie in the Brixton business’s contract-furniture activities, which began in 1929 before expanding and moving to Bicester. The subsidiary serves business and contract customers and was enlarged through acquisitions including Duncan Roberts Ltd and Principal Furniture Ltd.
Department store and furniture centre · 1854
Camp Hopson
Camp Hopson is Morleys’ Newbury operation, combining a department store with a furniture centre. Its heritage links back to Joseph Hopson’s 1854 furniture business and Alfred Camp’s 1886 drapery bazaar, which were combined as Camp Hopson in the early twentieth century.
Department store
Jolly’s
Jolly’s is the historic department store on Milsom Street in Bath that Morleys agreed to take on under a lease announced in 2025. The store was planned to undergo refurbishment and fully reopen in October 2026; its operating status before that reopening is therefore transitional.
Chocolate cafés · 2023
Knoops Chocolate investment
Knoops is a chocolate café chain in which Morleys invested in 2023. It is an investment and adjacent consumer-business interest rather than a conventional Morleys department-store product line.
Brand decisions
2025
Lease acquisition and planned reopening of Jolly’sM&ABackground
Jolly’s, a historic Bath department store, had closed after its previous House of Fraser operation ended.
Action taken
Morleys announced that it had taken on the lease and would refurbish the store, with a full reopening planned for October 2026.
Aftermath
The announcement added Bath to Morleys’ planned operating footprint while the site remained closed pending refurbishment.
2025
Closure of the Tooting storeStrategyBackground
Morleys revised its London store estate while pursuing expansion in Bath.
Action taken
The Tooting Morleys store closed on 30 April 2025.
Aftermath
Tooting was removed from the group’s current store portfolio.
2023
Investment in Knoops ChocolateM&ABackground
Morleys broadened its interests into a complementary food, beverage and hospitality concept.
Action taken
The company invested £5.5 million in Knoops Chocolate.
Aftermath
Knoops became an investment associated with the wider Morleys group, although it remained a distinct café business.
Investment. £5.5 million (November 2023)
2017
Opening of the Bexleyheath storeStrategyBackground
The closure of British Home Stores created an opportunity for an independent department-store operator at the Broadway Shopping Centre.
Action taken
Morleys took over the former British Home Stores premises and opened a new store in spring 2017.
Aftermath
Bexleyheath became one of the group’s Morleys-branded stores.
2014
Acquisition of Camp HopsonM&ABackground
Morleys sought to extend its portfolio beyond London and add a department store with a substantial furniture operation and long local history.
Action taken
The group purchased Camp Hopson of Newbury, including its department store and furniture centre.
Aftermath
Camp Hopson became part of Morleys’ continuing multi-banner store portfolio.
2010
Acquisition of Pearsons storesM&ABackground
Morleys continued to build a multi-banner department-store estate in southern England.
Action taken
It acquired Pearsons stores in Enfield and Bishop’s Stortford.
Aftermath
The Bishop’s Stortford branch later closed in 2012, while the Enfield business continued under the Pearsons name.
2009
Acquisition of Roomes Fashion and HomeM&ABackground
Morleys was expanding its regional department-store portfolio through the purchase of established local retailers.
Action taken
The group acquired Roomes Fashion and Home in Upminster.
Aftermath
Roomes remained part of the group as a locally identified store.
Recent events
- 2025
Morleys takes on Jolly's department store in Bath[1]
M&A
Morleys announced that it had taken on the lease of the former Jolly's department store on Milsom Street in Bath, with a full reopening planned after refurbishment in October 2026.
- 2025
Morleys closes its Tooting store[1]
Other
The Morleys store in Tooting closed on 30 April 2025.
- 2023
Morleys invests £5.5 million in Knoops[1]
Other
Morleys made a £5.5 million investment in Knoops, a chocolate café chain, broadening the group’s interests beyond department-store and furniture retailing.
- 2017
Morleys opens its Bexleyheath department store[1]
Other
The group opened a new store at the Broadway Shopping Centre in Bexleyheath after taking over premises formerly occupied by British Home Stores.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/morleys-stores-ltd · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled