Great Universal Catalogue
Great Universal offers 20% off all first online orders,
plus free delivery for all standard delivery items!
As well as the above, Great Universal offers great value on
thousands of fantastic products – from great fashion
including sportswear and kids wear to great home ware and
household appliances, electrical goods and garden products,
Great Universal has it all!
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Great Universal Catalogue
Great Universal History
Great Universal Stores first opened it's mail order doors
in 1900. The brain child of entrepreneurs Abraham and George
Rose as a mail order business, founded in Manchester. The
original name was Universal Stores.
In the 1930's Great Universal Stores Limited was born, to
which saw a floating on the London stock exchange in 1931.
During this stage it was one of the leading mail order
businesses in the UK.
During the 1930's a second mail order catalogue called "John
England" was produced. During 1937 GUS acquired Kays
Catalogue an already established mail order catalogue which
has been operating in Worcester since the 1880's. Kays had
remained a separate company until the 1980's.
A new decade and the 40's see's GUS expand their catalogue
empire into the furniture market, to which acquired
businesses from outside of the UK.
After the Second World War, a fourth catalogue was printed
entitled "Trafford" which later evolved into Marshall Ward.
It was not until the late 60's that the company started
changing with the additions of John Meyers and John England
were added to the expanding portfolio.
During the 1970's GUS acquired John Noble, Choice and Family
Album increasing their dominance in the home catalogue
shopping market.
A more modern decade, and a new millennium saw Great
Universal change it's name to GUS Plc. The Great Universal
brand name, continued to be used, despite this.
During 2004 the traditional catalogue division was sold to
Sir David Barclay and Sir Frederick Barclay, also known as
the Barclay twins. Great Universal was then merged into the
Littlewoods empire.
During the same period, the Barclay twins announced the
closure of the Littlewoods Index retail chain, the main
rival to Argos, to whom brought around 35 of the stores.
Within the past two years since 2006 GUS Plc was demerged
into two separate businesses, Experian and Home Retail
Group. Again the London stock exchange played a roll with
both companies when shares was floated on 11th of October
2006.
If you are wondering whom the Home Retail Group are, they
are the UK's leading home and general merchandise retailer
in the UK with sales of £5.5 Billion pounds. It's main
retail names are Argos and Homebase.
Great Universal Stores was de-merged and rebrought by the
Barclay brothers in 2003 where it then became Shop Direct.
October 2005 saw the merger into the Littlewoods Home
Shopping and is now part of the Littlewoods Shop Direct
Group.