Rapid Discount Outlet
Rapid Discount Outlet was a Liverpool-based discount home-improvement and household-goods retailer, formerly known as Rapid Hardware.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Rapid Discount Outlet was a local retail business based in Liverpool, England, specializing in discounted do-it-yourself, home-improvement, hardware, and household merchandise. The business began in 1971 under the name Rapid Hardware, when founder Hugh Doherty opened a small shop on Renshaw Street. Over time, it expanded substantially from that local starting point, eventually operating more than 200,000 square feet of retail space and employing over 300 people. The retailer’s offer broadened well beyond traditional hardware. After relocating in 2009 to the former George Henry Lee department-store premises, Rapid developed a larger multi-category format covering home and garden products, kitchens, lighting, bathrooms, indoor and outdoor furniture, homeware, and hardware. This repositioning gave the company the characteristics of a discount department and home-improvement outlet rather than a narrowly focused DIY shop. Rapid also gained national exposure in 2009 through an appearance in the BBC television programme The Apprentice. Candidates from the series presented ideas to the company’s store managers, bringing attention to a retailer that was otherwise primarily known in the Liverpool area. The business encountered severe financial difficulties during the 2010s. Rapid Hardware entered administration in February 2013, with Duff & Phelps appointed to handle the process. At that point, the company was reported to owe approximately £2.97 million. The store subsequently reopened at the same premises in May 2013 under the new name Rapid Discount Outlet, indicating an attempt to continue trading after the first insolvency process. The rebranded business was run by Martin Doherty and Daniel Doherty between 2008 and 2017. In May 2017, Rapid Discount Outlet entered administration for a second time, and the store closed on 30 May 2017. No evidence in the supplied reference material indicates that the retail operation continued after that closure. The brand is therefore treated as defunct. Its history reflects the development of a large independent regional retailer, its expansion into a broad discount home-and-household format, and the financial pressures that ultimately ended its operations.
History
Rapid Discount Outlet originated as Rapid Hardware, a Liverpool retail business founded by Hugh Doherty in 1971. Its first shop was a small outlet on Renshaw Street. The company subsequently grew into a substantial regional retailer, eventually claiming more than 200,000 square feet of retail selling space and a workforce of over 300 people. The business initially focused on hardware and do-it-yourself products, but its assortment expanded as its premises and customer base developed. In 2009, Rapid relocated to the former George Henry Lee store. The larger location supported a much wider retail proposition, including home and garden goods, kitchens, lighting, bathrooms, indoor and outdoor furniture, homeware, and conventional hardware. This expansion positioned the company as a broad discount home-and-household retailer rather than only a specialist DIY merchant. Rapid received wider public attention in 2009 when it appeared in the BBC television series The Apprentice. Contestants from the programme were required to pitch ideas to Rapid’s store managers. The appearance was a notable moment of exposure for a retailer whose operations were concentrated in Liverpool. Financial problems became central to the company’s later history. Rapid Hardware entered administration in February 2013, with Duff & Phelps managing the process. The company was reported to have debts of approximately £2.97 million at the time. Despite the insolvency proceedings, the store reopened in May 2013 at the same premises, adopting the name Rapid Discount Outlet. The new name emphasized the business’s broader discount-retail positioning while allowing trading to resume after the administration. Martin Doherty and Daniel Doherty ran the business during the period from 2008 to 2017. The revived operation did not remain financially viable in the long term. In May 2017, Rapid Discount Outlet entered administration for a second time. The store closed on 30 May 2017, bringing the retail operation to an end according to the supplied reference account. The brand’s trajectory therefore consisted of four main phases: establishment as a small independent hardware shop; expansion into a large regional retail operation; diversification into a department-like home and household assortment; and eventual failure following repeated administration proceedings. Its story is primarily that of a locally important Liverpool retailer rather than an international consumer brand.
- 2017
Second administration and closure
[1]Rapid Discount Outlet entered administration for a second time in May, and the store closed on 30 May.
- 2013
First administration
[1]Rapid Hardware entered administration in February, with Duff & Phelps handling the process.
- 2013
Reopening as Rapid Discount Outlet
[1]The store reopened at its existing premises in May under the Rapid Discount Outlet name.
- 2009
Relocation to the former George Henry Lee premises
[1]Rapid moved into the former George Henry Lee store as the business expanded its retail footprint and product range.
- 2009
Appearance on The Apprentice
[1]Rapid featured in the BBC programme The Apprentice, where contestants presented ideas to the retailer’s store managers.
- 1971
Rapid Hardware opens in Liverpool
[1]Hugh Doherty founded Rapid Hardware and opened its first small shop on Renshaw Street.
Products and positioning
A large Liverpool-based discount retailer combining DIY and hardware with home-improvement, furniture, garden, lighting, bathroom, kitchen, and general homeware categories.
Home improvement · 1971
DIY and hardware
The company’s original core was hardware and do-it-yourself retailing. These products formed the foundation of Rapid Hardware and remained part of the assortment after the business broadened into a wider discount home-and-household format.
Home and garden retail · 2009
Home and garden
Rapid expanded into home and garden merchandise as its store format grew. The category helped move the retailer beyond specialist hardware and toward a broader destination for household improvement and furnishing needs.
Home improvement · 2009
Kitchens, lighting, and bathrooms
The expanded store carried kitchen, lighting, and bathroom products. These categories complemented the company’s DIY heritage and supported its positioning as a one-stop discount outlet for home projects.
Household goods · 2009
Furniture and homeware
Indoor and outdoor furniture and general homeware were added to the larger retail proposition. Their inclusion gave Rapid Discount Outlet a department-store-like assortment alongside its hardware and home-improvement lines.
Marketing campaigns
- 2009The Apprentice television appearance
United Kingdom
Rapid appeared in the BBC television series The Apprentice. Contestants were asked to pitch ideas to the company’s store managers, giving the Liverpool retailer national television exposure.
Outcome. The appearance increased public visibility, although no longer-term commercial result is documented in the supplied material.
Brand decisions
2013
Rebrand and reopen after administrationOtherBackground
Rapid Hardware entered administration in February 2013 and was reported to owe approximately £2.97 million.
Action taken
The store reopened at the same premises in May 2013 under the name Rapid Discount Outlet.
Aftermath
The renamed business resumed trading but entered administration again in May 2017 and closed on 30 May.
Reported debt at first administration. £2.97 million owed (February 2013)
2009
Broaden the retailer into a multi-category home outletStrategyBackground
After relocating to larger premises, Rapid had the space to expand beyond its traditional hardware and DIY base.
Action taken
The company added home and garden, kitchens, lighting, bathrooms, furniture, homeware, and related categories.
Aftermath
Rapid developed a broader discount department and home-improvement proposition, although the business later experienced financial distress.
Recent events
- 2017
Rapid Discount Outlet enters administration and closes[1]
Bankruptcy
The rebranded retailer entered administration for a second time in May 2017, with the store closing on 30 May.
- 2013
Rapid Hardware enters administration[1]
Bankruptcy
Rapid Hardware entered administration in February 2013. Duff & Phelps handled the administration, and the company was reported to owe approximately £2.97 million.
- 2013
Rapid reopens as Rapid Discount Outlet[1]
Other
The store reopened at the same premises in May 2013 under the name Rapid Discount Outlet after the first administration.
Sources1 sources
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