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Heelas (now branded as John Lewis & Partners) is a major
department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...
in
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
in the English county of
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
. It was known as Heelas until 2001 and that name is still in common usage. The store fronts on to Reading's main pedestrianised shopping street, Broad Street, and backs onto Minster Street and
The Oracle An oracle was usually a priest or a priestess through whom the gods were supposed to speak or prophesize. In particular: *Pythia – served as an oracle in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. * Oracle bone – a bone used for divination in ancient Chi ...
shopping centre. The store has belonged to the John Lewis Partnership since 1953.


History

Heelas started in Reading with just one small shop at 33 Minster Street. John Heelas, who already had a shop in Wokingham, set up the new business in 1854 with his sons, John and Daniel. They described themselves as 'Linen and Woollen Drapers, Silk Mercers etc..'. Over the years they acquired adjacent properties and by 1877 the business had become a department store. In 1897 the family firm became a public company, ''Heelas Sons and Co. Ltd'', and in 1890 the House of Heelas was appointed Linen Drapers and House Furnishers to the then Prince of Wales. This warrant was continued on his accession to the throne as King Edward VII. The shop was rebuilt in 1907 and the directors were confident that the 'handsome well-arranged buildings would add to the great comfort of the customers'. Both John and Daniel Heelas died in 1910; their successors, John Heelas Junior and Edward Heelas, inherited a thriving business. Heelas became a major entity in Reading, and in 1937, the John Lewis Partnership entered into takeover discussions with the department store. These did not work out, but in 1947 Heelas was sold to Charles Clore. He disposed of it three years later to United Drapery Stores who, in turn, sold it to the John Lewis Partnership in 1953. Throughout these changes, the store continued to trade as Heelas. At the time of John Lewis' takeover, the store was the largest shop in Berkshire. With the business continuing to grow, however, the shop eventually became seen as too small and in need of expansion. Ambitious redevelopment plans were announced in 1975 and a large-scale model of the re-envisaged Heelas was put on display in the shop. The building work started in December 1979 and was split into three phases, allowing the shop to continue trading throughout the period. While the front (Broad Street) of the store dating from 1907 was little changed, the earlier rear (Minster Street) was demolished and replaced with a new five-storey building with an atrium. The work was completed by November 1985. In 1999 a major new shopping and leisure centre,
The Oracle An oracle was usually a priest or a priestess through whom the gods were supposed to speak or prophesize. In particular: *Pythia – served as an oracle in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. * Oracle bone – a bone used for divination in ancient Chi ...
, opened behind the store. Among its many shops are department stores Debenhams and
House of Fraser House of Fraser (also operating as Frasers) is a British department store group with 44 locations across the United Kingdom, which is now part of Frasers Group. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891, it w ...
, thus increasing the level of competition in Reading. On Sunday 2 September 2001, as part of a wider company rebranding, the store's name was changed from Heelas to John Lewis. It was also the first time the shop had opened on a Sunday. Managing director Felicity Miller retired on 1 September. All the in-store and external signage was changed, but the name Heelas can still be seen where it was built into the external brickwork of the 1979 building. The renaming caused some local controversy, as some people felt the town was losing a part of its history. On 9 February 2007, the store was awarded a
Royal Warrant A royal warrant is a document issued by a monarch which confers rights or privileges on the recipient, or has the effect of law. Royal warrant may refer to: * Royal warrant of appointment, warrant to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a r ...
by
Her Majesty The Queen The precise style of British sovereigns has varied over the years. style is officially proclaimed in two languages:UK ParliamentRoyal Titles Act 1953(1 & 2 Eliz. 2 c. 9) Proclamation of 28 May 1953 made in accordance with the Royal Titles Act 195 ...
. This allows John Lewis Reading to display The Queen's coat of arms, together with the words "By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen, Suppliers of Household and Fancy Goods", on the store's building, vehicles and stationery.


Sources

*John Lewis Partnership - memorystore.
Heelas of Reading
'. Retrieved 26 September 2019.


References


External links


John Lewis Reading web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heelas Buildings and structures in Reading, Berkshire John Lewis Partnership British Royal Warrant holders Department stores of the United Kingdom 1854 establishments in England Retail companies established in 1854