Beales (department store)

New Start 2020 Limited T/A Beales
Company typeLimited company
IndustryRetail
GenreDepartment store
Founded1881 (1881); 143 years ago in Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK
FounderJohn Elmes Beale
HeadquartersHertfordshire, United Kingdom
Number of locations
2 (Poole and Southport)
Area served
UK
Key people
Andrew Perloff (Chairman)
Tony Brown[1]
Number of employees
1000 (2020)
ParentPanther Securities
Websitewww.beales.co.uk

Beales is an English department store chain, which currently operates 2 branches, in Poole and Southport.[2] The former flagship store, Beales in Bournemouth, was established as The Fancy Fair by John Elmes Beale in 1881 and was the biggest department store in Dorset. The chain expanded through acquiring other department stores and continued to run two stores branded as Palmers in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft until its closure.

The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange until its private equity takeover. Beales entered administration on 20 January 2020 and finally closed their remaining stores on 18 March 2020.[3] It formerly operated 23 branches before entering administration. However, a new company, New Start 2020 Limited, reopened the Beales store in Poole in August 2020.[4]

  1. ^ "'There'll be a difference between old Beales and new Beales': Plans laid for store's August opening". Bournemouth Echo. 7 June 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Beales department store officially opens as hundreds queue to get in". The Guide, Liverpool. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Department store Beales falls into administration". BBC News. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  4. ^ Slade, Darren (22 July 2020). "Revealed: The brand names in the new Beales of Poole (along with bookshop and electricals)". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 21 August 2020.