Halfords is a retailer of car accessories and bicycles.
1892 Halfords traces its origins to a store founded in Birmingham by Frederick William Rushbrooke as a wholesale ironmongery. The name originates from a store on Halford Street in Leicester, which was opened circa 1902 by Rushbrooke, selling cycling goods.
1906 The Halford Cycle Co was formed.
1911 November. new premises in Moor Street, Birmingham
1912 Catalogue 128pp. Lists 65 branches in the UK. Include bicycles and accessories. Their own trademark is 'Rutico'. Includes Lucas, Millers and Powell and Hanmer's acetylene and oil lamps; Renshaw tyres and padlocks; Brooks saddles and Sturmey-Archer gears
1931 It opened its 200th store
1945 Purchased the Birmingham Bicycle Co
1968 it opened its 300th store.
1969 The company became a part of the Burmah Group, after a takeover battle that saw Smiths Industries also bidding. Although Frederick Rushbrooke had died in 1953, his son, M. M. Rushbrooke remained chief executive into the 1980s.
1984 Ward White acquired the Halfords chain of auto-parts suppliers[1]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times Nov. 1, 1984
[1] Wikipedia
- 1912 catalogue in AIT collection