H Williams was a supermarket chain in Ireland which originated as a grocer/tea importer that became a registered company in March 1894 with a listing on the Dublin Stock Exchange.[1]
In 1959 it opened the first supermarket in Ireland, in Dublin's Henry Street.[2] Though publicly listed on the Dublin Stock Exchange for many years, the Quinn-McArdle family controlled its board and provided most of its senior management.[3] In the early 1980s it was sold to a its managing director, John Quinn, and property developer Finbarr Holland. In 1986 Tesco sold their Irish operation to H Williams for £17 million.[4]
H Williams collapsed in 1987, following a price war that led to the 1987 amendment to the Groceries Order in an effort to protect the market from further concentration.[5] The former H Williams supermarkets were sold to other supermarket chains. H Williams' head office was situated in Dundrum, Dublin.
Other Dublin stores included ones located in Rathmines, Terenure, Tallaght (now a Lidl) and Killester. Outside Dublin, there was a store in Mullingar[6] – the present-day Fairgreen Shopping Centre is located on its former site as well as a store in Tullamore which was purchased by and still operates as a Dunnes Stores.
References
edit- ^ The Stock Exchange Official Intelligence. London: Spottoswoode, Ballantyne & Company, Limited. 1912. p. 891.
- ^ Oram, Hugh (July 24, 2017). "Gone shopping – An Irishman's Diary on Dublin's old grocery shops". Irish Times.
- ^ "Quinn, John James". Dictionary of Irish Biography. February 2016.
- ^ Parker, Aj (1 March 1986). "Tesco leaves Ireland". Retail and Distribution Management. 14 (3): 16–20. doi:10.1108/eb018304. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ^ "Restrictive Practices (Groceries) Order 1987 - A Review and Report of Public Consultation Process". enterprise.gov.ie. Government of Ireland. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ "Future of Mullingar H. Williams Store". Westmeath Examiner. 1987-11-07. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-08-08 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.