Beales had 23 department stores and 139 years of history — then nobody wanted to buy them

Beales was founded in 1881 by John Elmes Beale in Bournemouth, England. Starting as 'The Fancy Fair', it grew into a respected department store chain with 23 branches across the UK, including stores branded as Palmers. For over a century, Beales was a fixture of British high streets, selling textiles, homewares, and non-food goods to generations of customers.

The chain entered administration on 20 January 2020 after failing to find a buyer. KPMG was appointed as administrator, and closing-down sales generated £9.6 million in revenue — but the company owed £12.6 million. All remaining stores were closed by 18 March 2020, as the UK entered its first COVID-19 lockdown.

A new company, New Start 2020 Ltd, owned by landlord Panther Securities, reopened stores in Poole (August 2020), Peterborough (May 2021), and Southport (August 2021). But the revival was short-lived. CEO Tony Brown cited the Labour government's increases to employer's National Insurance — adding £200,000 to costs — as making the business 'unviable'. The final Beales store, in Poole, closed permanently on 31 May 2025.