Matalan

Matalan is a British fashion and homeware retailer based in Knowsley, Merseyside. It was established by John Hargreaves in 1985, and is still owned by the Hargreaves family. As of 2020, the company employed over 13,000,[1] and had 230 stores in the United Kingdom, together with thirty two franchise stores in Europe, and the Middle East.[2]

Matalan Retail Ltd
Privately held company
IndustryRetail
FoundedPreston (1985 (1985))
HeadquartersKnowsley
Key people
John Hargreaves (founder & chairman)
Jason Hargreaves (Managing Director)
ProductsClothing, homeware
Revenue £1.1 billion GBP (2019)[1]
OwnerJohn Hargreaves & family
Websitewww.matalan.co.uk

History
A Matalan shop at Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne (2007)

John Hargreaves opened the first Matalan store in 1985 at Bamber Bridge, near Preston, Lancashire. There were fifty stores by 1995, and in 1997, the company moved its headquarters from Preston to Skelmersdale, also in Lancashire.[2] The company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1998,[3] but taken private again by the Hargreaves family in October 2006.[4]

During 2009, John Hargreaves sought to sell off Matalan, but by February 2010, had failed to find buyers willing to meet the £1.5 billion price.[5] Jason Hargreaves was appointed managing director in July 2013.[6] The headquarters moved to a purpose built site at Knowsley, Merseyside in 2014.[2] The company won approval for this scheme in October 2012.[7]

Controversy

Matalan was among the companies who sourced clothes from the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh which collapsed, killing 1,129, in April 2013.[8] In July 2014, they were the focus of a campaign by 38 Degrees and Labour Behind the Label, for failing to contribute to the official compensation fund coordinated by the ILO.[9] This was in contrast to some of their main competitors, such as Primark who contributed $9 million.[10]

After pressure, they announced that they would contribute an undisclosed amount.[11] It was later revealed that they had paid £60,000[12] into the fund, which labour rights campaigns challenged as being an insufficient amount compared with other retailers.[13]

Structure

Matalan Retail Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Missouri Topco Limited, a holding company which is based in Guernsey, and is controlled by the Hargreaves family.[14]

References
  1. "Matalan Retail Limited – Annual Report 2019". Companies House. February 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  2. Heeds, Chantelle (8 September 2019). "From stall to international company: The story behind Matalan". Lancs Live. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  3. "The Daily Mail writer on the end of the Matalan fairytale". This is Money. 12 January 2001. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  4. "Matalan PLC: RNS announcement". ADVFN. 11 October 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  5. "Matalan founder John Hargreaves to trouser £250m in refinancing deal". www.theguardian.com. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  6. Holland, Tiffany (15 July 2013). "Profile: Matalan's new managing director Jason Hargreaves".
  7. "Matalan wins approval for Knowsley move". www.thebusinessdesk.com. 12 October 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  8. "Pressure intensifies on Matalan to give to Rana Plaza fund". The Times. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  9. "'If Primark can pay over factory collapse, why can't Matalan?' - Telegraph". Telegraph.co.uk. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  10. "Primark Ethical Trading - Our Work in Bangladesh". Primark Ethical Trading. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  11. Julia Kollewe. "Matalan donates to Rana Plaza victims' trust fund one day before deadline". the Guardian. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  12. "Press Release: Matalan slammed for "trivial" compensation payments to Rana Plaza victims". Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  13. "38 Degrees - Blog - Matalan: Only £60,000". Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  14. "Report and Accounts for Year Ended 23 February 2019 (Missouri Topco Limited)". Matalan. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
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