Empire Stores began life back in the early part of the 19th century Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. An Italian man, Antonio Fattorini, settled in the North of England and began work as a travelling salesman. By 1827, he had established a market stall in Leeds, specialising in watches and jewellery. This was around the same time that the Marks & Spencer Penny Bazaar was being set up. The business grew as a family concern, and by 1890, long after the death of its original founder in 1859, Fattorini’s son (also called Antonio) was running a larger store in Harrogate, which sold a variety of household goods.
By 1907, the business had also built up a thriving mail order side, which was split out into a separate trading entity: The Northern Trading Company, which in turn became Empire Stores when the business became a limited company in 1910. The mail order business continued to grow during the remainder of the 20th Century, particularly in post-war Britain where there was a growing desire for consumer goods and an appetite for easy consumer credit, which the likes of Empire Stores were able to offer.
In more recent times, the business became part of the Redcats group in 1988, and as recently as 2008 was acquired by the much larger Shop Direct, which also boasts the likes of Littlewoods, Kays and Marshall Ward amongst the available
catalogue titles.
Like many of the traditional ‘big book’ mail order companies, two main catalogues are produced each year for the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter seasons.
"Empire Stores makes life easier by offering everything you need for the family, your home and yourself all in one place, and with easy interest-free payments - no shops, no queues, and no hassle.
Instead, 48hr free delivery, top name brands - just click or call. There is a huge range of fashion and homewares from kitchens and conservatories to jewellery and gifts."
Thousands of items, including clothing for all the family, everything you could possibly need for the home and garden, as well as an extensive range of gifts and toys.
As well as regular discounted products, there are also occasional sales on the Empire Stores website.
Orders from Empire Stores are entitled to free standard (48 hour) delivery, and returns are also free. Customers can also apply to operate a credit account, which enables the cost of purchases to be spread over time. Customers with credit accounts can also benefit, from time to time, from ‘buy now pay later’ offers.
"I have been a customer for many years, and Empire Stores always sell top quality goods that are long-lasting. They can sometimes be slightly more expensive than the shops, but you can budget better when you need to buy something and then pay it back in smaller chunks each month."
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