Matalan

Image:Matalan Kingston Park.jpg, Newcastle upon Tyne (2007)]]

In 1985, John Hargreaves opened the first Matalan store 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. The company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1998, but taken private again by the Hargreaves family in October 2006.{{Cite web|url=https://uk.advfn.com/stock-market/stock-news/17185259/matalan-plc|title=Matalan PLC: RNS announcement|date=11 October 2006|website=ADVFN|access-date=2019-12-03}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/mar/07/matalan-private-equity-buyout|title=Matalan founder John Hargreaves to trouser £250m in refinancing deal|publisher=www.theguardian.com|date=11 February 2010|access-date=16 May 2018}} Jason Hargreaves was appointed managing director in July 2013.{{cite web|url= https://www.retail-week.com/profile-matalans-new-managing-director-jason-hargreaves/5051084.article|title= Profile: Matalan's new managing director Jason Hargreaves|first=Tiffany|last=Holland|date=15 July 2013}} The headquarters moved to a purpose built site at Knowsley, Merseyside in 2014. The company won approval for this scheme in October 2012.{{cite news |url=https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/383553-matalan-wins-approval-for-knowsley-move|title=Matalan wins approval for Knowsley move|newspaper=www.thebusinessdesk.com|date=12 October 2012|access-date=25 May 2020}}

In September 2018, it began a partnership with toy retailer The Entertainer, who opened 59 in-store concessions as 'Totally Toys'.{{Cite web |date=2018-10-04 |title=The Entertainer boasts 38% rise in profits - Retail Gazette |url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2018/10/entertainer-boasts-38-rise-profits/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |language=en-GB}}

In June 2020, Matalan confirmed that they would name a new chairman and a new chief commercial officer less than a month after John Mills stated he would step down from the board. Steve Johnson succeeded Mills as the next chairperson of the value retailer, while James Brown moved into the completely new Chief Commercial Officer position at the company.{{Cite web |date=25 June 2020 |title=Matalan announces new chair and chief commercial officer |url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/06/matalan-announces-new-chairman-chief-commercial-officer/ |access-date=15 July 2020 |website=Retail Gazette}}

In March 2023, it was announced that former Co-op Food CEO, Jo Whitfield, would be joining Matalan as chief executive.{{Cite web |last=Banham |first=Mark |date=2023-03-27 |title=Matalan appoints new CEO and chairman |url=https://www.drapersonline.com/news/matalan-appoints-new-ceo-and-chairman |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=Drapers |language=en}} Whitfield served in various executive roles at Matalan between 2002 and 2008.

In October 2024, after only 18 months, Jo Whitfield left the position of CEO to pursue a her own portfolio career.{{Cite web |last=Wright |first=Georgia |date=2024-10-07 |title=Matalan CEO exits after just 18 months - Retail Gazette |url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2024/10/matalan-ceo-exits/ |access-date=2024-10-08 |language=en-GB}}

In the Middle East, the Matalan brand is franchised to BTC Fashion General Trading, based in Qatar.{{Cite web |title=Matalan |url=http://www.gulfmalldoha.com/directory/matalan/ |access-date=2020-07-10 |website=Gulf Mall, Doha, Qatar |language=en-US}} BTC have stores in Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.{{Cite web |title=Matalan stores |url=https://www.btcfashion.me/ |access-date=2020-07-10 |website=BTC Fashion |language=en-US}} There is also at least one store in Georgia (at the City Mall, Tbilisi).

{{Further|Rana Plaza collapse}}

Matalan was among the companies that sourced clothes from the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh which collapsed, killing 1,134 in April 2013.{{cite news|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/industries/retailing/article4159274.ece|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200226055551/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/industries/retailing/article4159274.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 February 2020|title=Pressure intensifies on Matalan to give to Rana Plaza fund|work=The Times|access-date=25 October 2014|last1=Pagnamenta |first1=Robin }} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10994022/If-Primark-can-pay-over-factory-collapse-why-cant-Matalan.html|title='If Primark can pay over factory collapse, why can't Matalan?' - Telegraph|date=28 July 2014|work=Telegraph.co.uk|access-date=25 October 2014}} This was in contrast to some of their main competitors, such as Primark who contributed $9 million.{{cite web|url=http://www.primark-bangladesh.com/|title=Primark Ethical Trading - Our Work in Bangladesh|work=Primark Ethical Trading|access-date=25 October 2014}}

After pressure, they announced that they would contribute an undisclosed amount.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jul/30/matalan-donates-rana-plaza-victims-trust-fund|title=Matalan donates to Rana Plaza victims' trust fund one day before deadline|author=Julia Kollewe|work=The Guardian|date=30 July 2014 |access-date=25 October 2014}} It was later revealed that they had paid £60,000{{cite web|url=http://www.labourbehindthelabel.org/news/item/1263-press-release-matalan-slammed-for-trivial-compensation-payments-to-rana-plaza-victims|title=Press Release: Matalan slammed for "trivial" compensation payments to Rana Plaza victims|access-date=25 October 2014}} into the fund, which labour rights campaigns challenged as being an insufficient amount compared with other retailers.{{cite web|url=http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2014/08/08/matalan-only-60000/|title=38 Degrees - Blog - Matalan: Only £60,000|date=8 August 2014 |access-date=25 October 2014}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|Matalan}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://www.matalanme.com/ Official website (Middle East)]

{{Authority control}}

Category:British companies established in 1985

Category:Retail companies established in 1985

Category:Clothing retailers of the United Kingdom

Category:Companies formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange

Category:Companies based in Knowsley