QD stores

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

QD Stores
IndustryRetailing
Founded1985; 37 years ago (1985) in Norwich, United Kingdom[1]
Headquarters
Nottingham[2]
,
United Kingdom
Number of locations
29 (2020)
Websitehttps://www.qdstores.co.uk

QD Stores is an independently owned discount retailer operating in the United Kingdom, primarily in East Anglia and the East Midlands.[3]

Products stocked include a mixture of items for the home and garden, basic groceries and a range of clothing and footwear.

Store in North Waltham

History[]

The first QD Stores branch was opened in Norwich in 1985,[1] with the initials QD standing for quality discounts.[4]

During the 1990s QD Stores purchased the small department store Lathams of Potter Heigham, which it still operates under the original name. It also established Cherry Lane Garden Centres which by 2008 had become the eighth biggest UK gardening centre group.[5]

The number of QD Stores locations has grown relatively slowly since 1985. Notable changes to the store estate include the opening of 8 new stores in former Woolworths locations following that company's closure in 2009,[6] as well as the closure of the flagship store in St Stephens Street in Norwich late in 2012.,[7]

In 2010, the company opened its first store outside England in Wrexham, north Wales. Housed in a former Marks & Spencer branch, the store traded for ten years before declining local trade led to closure plans being announced in 2020.[8][9]

The company added 11 more shops to their portfolio through the purchase of fellow East Anglian discounter Thingmebobs in early 2013.[10] These stores retained their separate identity and a new parent company, QD Commercial Group Holdings, was set up[11] to operate the various related companies.

QD Stores established an e-commerce site selling goods online during 2014 and followed this with the introduction of a 'click and collect' service the following year.[12]

In 2015 QD Stores opened a new garden centre in Countershorpe, Leicester and since then has opened two more garden centre sites in Peterborough and Worcester.

References[]

  1. ^ a b "QD Stores".
  2. ^ "QD Commercial Group Holdings".
  3. ^ "Store Finder". QD Stores. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  4. ^ "QD Stores Ltd - Bloomberg". Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  5. ^ "QD Stores moves to eighth biggest garden centre group with 11th garden centre purchase". Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  6. ^ Wallop, Harry (19 January 2012). "What happened to all the Woolworths shops?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Bosses at QD admit flagship Norwich store will not be re-opening". Eastern Daily Press. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Brand New QD Store to Open in Wrexham". QD Stores. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  9. ^ "QD announces it will close Wrexham store". Wrexham.com. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  10. ^ "QD Stores buys Thingmebobs discount shop chain". BBC News. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  11. ^ "QD Commercial Group Holdings - Company Check". Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  12. ^ "Discount chain QD's chief outlines hopes for new Norwich store and expansion plan". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
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