Bonmarché

This article is about the British clothing retail chain. For the French Department Store, see Le Bon Marché. For the former chain of American department stores, see The Bon Marché.
Bonmarché
Private
Industry Fashion
Founded Wakefield, England (1982)
Headquarters Wakefield, England
Number of locations
 Over 300
Area served
 United Kingdom
Number of employees
 2,600
Parent Sun European Partners
Website www.bonmarche.co.uk
www.bonmarcheplc.co.uk

Bonmarché (pronounced bon-mar-SHAY) is a clothing retailer based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The business was founded in 1982, and was acquired by the Peacock Group in July 2002. The clothing retailer has over 380 stores nationwide, employs over 4,000 people and is the United Kingdom's largest budget fashion retailer selling womenswear in a wide range of sizes – especially plus size clothing.

Ranges include casual and formal separates, outerwear, swimwear, lingerie nightwear and accessories, all designed for larger women. In March 2011, it was reported that Peacocks were looking to sell Bonmarché,[1] and in January 2012, the business was sold for an undisclosed sum to private equity group Sun European Partners.[2]

History

A branch of Bonmarche on Broadway in Bradford
A Bonmarche store in Hampshire

Bonmarché was founded in 1982, by Parkash Singh Chima. The Sikh businessman arrived in the United Kingdom in 1950, from the Punjab and settled in Ely, Cambridgeshire, from where he launched his door-to-door sales of clothing items that were in demand after the Second World War.

The family bought two retail clothing firms in 1982 – Wiltex and Hartley – which had twenty six indoor market locations across the north of England. Mr Chima moved to Huddersfield and ran the business with two of his sons Gurchait and Gurnaik.

The first Bonmarché store opened in Doncaster in 1985, and this was the start of the chain that grew into more than 300 stores, a huge headquarters at Grange Moor and a turnover of more than £200M. Mr Chima retired and left two sons to run the business, before they sold to the Peacock Group in July 2002.[3][4]

David Emanuel

In August 2007, Bonmarché launched a collection, designed in collaboration with David Emanuel, the designer famous for the co-design of Lady Diana Spencer's wedding dress in 1981. This collection has a slightly higher price point than the main Bonmarché range but is still regarded as value for money.

Criticism

Building collapse at Savar

On 24 April 2013, the eight-story Rana Plaza commercial building collapsed in Savar, a sub-district near Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. At least 1,127 people died and over 2,438 were injured.[5]

The factory housed a number of separate garment factories employing around 5,000 people, several shops, and a bank[6] and manufactured apparel for brands including the Benetton Group, Joe Fresh,[7] The Children's Place, Primark, Monsoon, and DressBarn.[8][9]

Of the 29 brands identified as having sourced products from the Rana Plaza factories, only 9 attended meetings held in November 2013 to agree a proposal on compensation to the victims. The agreement was signed by Primark, Loblaw, Bonmarche and El Corte Ingles.[10]

References

  1. ↑ The Telegraph – Peacocks considers Bonmarché sale (20 March 2011)
  2. ↑ BBC News – Bonmarche chain bought by private equity firm (23 January 2012)
  3. ↑ Huddersfield Examiner – Bonmarché founder Parkash Singh Chima dies at Sikh leisure centre (16 February 2010)
  4. ↑ Sikhs Online – Bonmarché founder dies at 86 among Sikh friends (18 February 2010) Archived 20 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ Ahmed, Saeed; Lakhani, Leone (14 June 2013), "Bangladesh building collapse: An end to recovery efforts, a promise of a new start", CNN, retrieved 16 December 2013
  6. ↑ Zain Al-Mahmood, Syed (24 April 2013). "Matalan supplier among manufacturers in Bangladesh building collapse". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  7. ↑ 'Extreme Pricing' At What Cost? Retailer Joe Fresh Sends Reps To Bangladesh As Death Toll Rises - Forbes
  8. ↑ Nelson, Dean (24 April 2013). "Bangladesh building collapse kills at least 82 in Dhaka". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  9. ↑ Alam, Julhas (24 April 2013). "At least 87 dead in Bangladesh building collapse". USA Today. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  10. ↑ Ovi, Ibrahim Hossain (2013), Buyers' compensation for Rana Plaza victims far from reality, retrieved 16 December 2013

External links

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