Howells (department store)
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Howells is a large department store located on St Mary's Street in Cardiff, Wales. The store was established by James Howell in 1856. It is now part of the House of Fraser group.
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[edit] History
James Howell's first step towards the present Howells department store began with the establishment of a shop under the Stuart Hall in The Hayes, a street near St Mary's Street. From there the first part of the current store was built in the late-19th century, this part of the building includes an ornate facade that is visible on St Marys Street. In the 1920s a large and well-proportioned neoclassical extension was built up to the corner of St Mary's Street and Heol-y-Cawl. A unique result of this extension was that Bethany Chapel, built on the site of an earlier chapel in 1865, was absorbed into the fabric of the building and its frontage was incorporated into the interior and is still visible in the store today, fronting onto the men's Aquascutum department.
The James Howell empire extended across Wharton Street, connected by a bridge, where a car showroom was built (now Lakeland Plastics), and a funeral home was also established by the family on the St Mary Street side of the store. Both these businesses were short lived, and the car showroom was bought by rival David Morgan, who extended his store, and the premises of the funeral home became part of the store.
Further extensions were added throughout the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s, causing the building to show the architectural trends of the Late Victorian era to the Modernism of the 1960s.
Howells department store was originally a family run business, owned by the family of James Howell. In the 1950s, the family sold the store to Welsh banker, Sir Julian Hodge, who in the 1960s sold the store to Mohammed Al-Fayed. At this time, Al-Fayed owned the House of Fraser chain, and at this point, the store ceased to become an independent store.
While under the ownership of Al-Fayed, the House of Fraser chain prompted controversy with its sale of animal fur, and in the late 1980s activists petrol bombed the Howells store, along with the flagship Harrods store and the stores Plymouth branch. The ethical sourcing policy has now sought to resolve this issue, with the company not using any fur products in its clothing.
The store is still owned by House of Fraser, however the chain was bought by Icelandic investment company, Baugur, in late 2006.
In the 1990s the Victorian frontage on St Marys Street, neglected for the best part of 50 years, was cleaned and restored, greatly enhancing the building's appearance.
[edit] Present Day
Today, Howells continues to be a major destination for shoppers, being the largest department store in Wales and even more so after the demise of its long-term rival David Morgan in January 2005.
[edit] Future
The store will undergo a multi-million pound refurbishment in January of 2008, adding a number of new 'top end' fashion labels. The store will also be re-branded under the trading name of 'House of Fraser', however James Howell & Co will still be visible on the building, as it is listed.
[edit] In the media
The store was used in the opening episode of BBC series Doctor Who, where it was blown up. It has since been the venue for scenes shot both inside and outside. [1]
[edit] References
- Various Contributors, Edited by Stewart Williams. The Cardiff Book No.1. Stewart Williams Publishers 1973 ISBN No. 0-900807-05-9
- Various Contributors, Edited by Stewart Williams. The Cardiff Book, Volume 2. Stewart Williams Publishers 1974 ISBN No. 0-900807-09-1
- Peter Finch. Real Cardiff, Volume Two, The Greater City. Seren 2004 ISBN No. 1-85411-384-4 pp. 50. 83.
