Joyes were a small department store that existed for 75 years in

Grays Grays or Greys may refer to: Places * Grays Bay, Nunavut, Canada * Grays, Essex, a town in Essex, England ** Grays railway station ** Grays School * Grays, Kent, a hamlet in Kent, England * Rotherfield Greys or Greys, a village in Oxfordshire, En ...

, Essex. Arthur Edgar Joyes was born in

Storrington Storrington is a small town in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England, and one of two in the civil parish of Storrington and Sullington. Storrington lies at the foot of the north side of the South Downs. it has a population of around 4,60 ...

in 1876 and attended grammar school. After completing his schooling, Arthur learnt the drapery trade as an assistant in a shop in

Dorking Dorking () is a market town in Surrey in South East England, about south of London. It is in Mole Valley District and the council headquarters are to the east of the centre. The High Street runs roughly east–west, parallel to the Pipp Br ...

. He later moved to Essex where he met his wife Mary Ann, who was also working in the drapery trade. In 1900, they married and opened a small drapery store at 4-6 New Road, Grays. They were soon joined by Mary's sister, who was a dressmaker and a female assistant in living above the shop. The store expanded due to its location next to the Market Square and Grays railway station, from a drapery to a small department store extending along New Road to number 20. When Arthur retired the son was handed over to his son Ronald. During the Second World War, a 20 for 1 club was operated, where 20 people would hand in a shilling a week, and once they had saved a pound they were given it back to spend in Joyes. The store used a wire system for payments, which lead to a frosted glass cashiers room. However Grays town centre changed in the 1970s with a modernisation programme and construction of a new shopping centre, to which the market moved into in an under cover section. With the moving of the market the south side of the railway line started to lose custom and in 1975, the 75th anniversary year of the store the business closed.

References

{{reflist Defunct department stores of the United Kingdom Defunct retail companies of the United Kingdom Retail companies established in 1900 Retail companies disestablished in 1975 1900 establishments in England 1975 disestablishments in England British companies disestablished in 1975 British companies established in 1900