Famous Army Stores Ltd. was a major independent

retailer Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and t ...

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

equipment, outdoor clothing footwear and army surplus. It was established as a limited company in 1981 but had been trading since the 1940s. It was based in Garston,

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, The company had been founded in the 1940s by the Wilson family of Liverpool, whose business interests also included Limocoat, Cathedral Touring Agency and Starways Airline. Highpoint Trading was the parent company for Famous Army Stores and Limocoat, formed as a vehicle for a management buy-out in 1996. The management buy-out was undertaken. The chain then rapidly grew from 100 shops to 200, with a turnover of £50 million and profits of £2.2 million in 1998. However the outbreak of foot and mouth disease plunged the business into losses for 2001, after the countryside was closed and requirement for company's goods disappeared for 7 months leaving the company with a liability of costs for 200 branches and 1,500 employees and negligible income. The company struggled to stay afloat without receiving any government aid and eventually went into administration. The preferred bidder and eventual owner,

Blacks Leisure Group Blacks Outdoor Retail Ltd. is a British retailer, headquartered in Bury, Greater Manchester, England which owns the British outdoor retailers Blacks, Millets and Ultimate Outdoors. Blacks is the largest outdoor retailer in the UK with stores ...

(Blacks), acquired 47 shops and all of the stock for £1.7 million. While Blacks retained all of the staff from the 47 shops, most of the managers left the business as the stores' brands were changed to Millets or Blacks.

References

{{Reflist Defunct retail companies of the United Kingdom Camping in the United Kingdom Companies that have entered administration in the United Kingdom