Hillards

Hillards plc was a small supermarket chain from the North of England, bought out in a hostile takeover by Tesco in May 1987.

Hillards
TypePublic
IndustryRetail
FateAcquired
SuccessorTesco
Founded1885
Defunct1987
HeadquartersCleckheaton, West Yorkshire
ProductsGroceries

History
Hillards in Ilkley in 1983.

The company was founded by John Wesley Hillard in 1885, in the West Yorkshire town of Cleckheaton.[1] The first shop was opened in Lion Chambers there, and shortly after 1900, there were twenty shops operating as Lion Stores.[1] By 1951, there were over seventy stores, and by 1968, it had warehouse size stores in Wakefield, Lincoln and York.[1]

In 1970, the trade name Lion Stores was dropped in favour of Hillards and in 1972, the company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange.[1] Peter Hartley, a grandson of the founder, became executive chairman in 1983 and in May 1987, following a hostile bid, the business was acquired by Tesco for £220m.[2]

  • Former Hillards in Cleckheaton, now a Tesco
  • Tesco in Oakwood, Leeds was scheduled to open as a Hillards but opened as Tesco as the chain was acquired mid construction.
  • Former Hillards in Pontefract, now a Tesco

References
  1. "Hillards Charitable Trust". Archived from the original on 2007-01-02. Retrieved 2006-09-08.
  2. Clark, Tim (15 April 2008). "A history of Tesco: The rise of Britain's biggest supermarket". London: Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 13 February 2009.


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