International Tea Company's Stores
Tea and Produce Merchants, of Mitre Square, London, E.C.
1895 International Tea Company's Stores was formed for acquiring and extending the wholesale tea, provision and food produce importers of Messrs Kearley and Tonge including their 200 stores in various parts of the country[1]
1967 Trading names included:[2] International Stores, Kearley and Tonge, George Mason, Payantake Stores, Harvey and Shillingford, John Quality, Pegrams, R. Orme and Co, W. B. Moss and Sons, Underwood and Co, S. J. Kilby, F. W. Essex and Son, Star Supply Stores, Ridgways
1968 Operated 1124 stores of which 847 were self-service or supermarkets[3]
1968 Name changed to International Stores Ltd[4]
Acquired by British American Tobacco
c1983 Acquired by Gateway Corporation
Eventually became Somerfield[5]