Did you know that Marks and Spencers originated from Leeds over 130 years ago and first opened in the iconic Kirkgate market?
Marks and Spencers is a British institution, known for it’s high quality goods and iconic characters such as Percy the Pig and Colin the Caterpillar.
Born right here in Leeds back in 1884, it all started when Michael Marks opened up a Penny Bazaar in the heart of Leeds Kirkgate market.
With a simple slogan of ‘Don’t ask the price, it’s a penny’, the stall quickly rose to success and both Marks’ idea and hard work paid off. However, it wasn’t until ten years later when Tom Spencer came along that the business really began to take shape.
Together in partnership, Marks and Spencers was born. By the year 1900 they had opened 36 Penny Bazaar outlets across the country, including 12 high street stores with the rest being market stalls.
Their new Leeds premises opened on Boar Lane in 1904 before moving to Briggate in 1909 where you will still find the store today.
As the war broke out and goods became scarcer, Marks & Spencers sadly could not maintain the penny price limit and instead built up a reputation of selling high quality goods at reasonable prices.
The iconic British retailer which we all know and love now have an astonishing 790 stores in the UK, more than 450 stores worldwide, and employ almost 86,000 people. The retail giant brings in billions of revenue from its clothing, food and online stores.
In 2013, M&S celebrated its history by opening up a stall in the place where the famous brand first started at Kirkgate Market. Situated next to the famous Marks and Spencers clock, visitors can learn about the heritage of the brand whilst enjoying a coffee and purchasing M&S merchandise.
You can even pick up a bag of Percy Pigs whilst you’re there, it would be rude not to after all.
You can find out more about the rich history of Marks and Spencers here.
Read more: Short Stuff: The iconic Leeds building where sheep used to graze on top of the roof
Feature Image: M&S
