Dawes Radio Group
of Manchester
1925 Business commenced when Fred Dawes opened his first radio shop.
1931 Fred Dawes, 55 London Road, Manchester.[1]
1931 Fred Dawes, 90 London Road, Manchester. Radio equipments.[2]
1949 Fred Dawes Radio, 90 London Road, Manchester.[3]
1950s Fred Dawes established a chain of television and radio rental shops. The business was initially named Fred Dawes.
1960 'FRED DAWES made his first radio set at the age of 15. And from his hobby has sprung a well-known Manchester business which will soon have a stock market price tag of £750,000. Mr Dawes opened his first radio shop in London Road in 1925. He was quick to adopt the credit idea - then contemptuously called "never never". Now he has 36 shops around Manchester selling and renting radio and TV sets and home appliances. Next week the share capital of his DAWES RADIO GROUP will be quoted for the first time on Manchester Stock Exchange City'[4]
1961 Acquired Rothery Radio and Rothery Services.[5]
1963 Acquired by Radio Rentals Ltd; the Dawes Group would continue to operate as an independent entity under the leadership of Mr Dawes[6]
1968 Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd acquired Radio Rentals Ltd. and merged their radio/television activities.
Became part of Relay Exchanges
1969 All ninety of the Fred Dawes High Street stores had become electrical retailers. Fred Dawes was sold to Thorn Electrical Industries with their rentals business transferring to Radio Rentals.