Robbs

{{Short description|Former department store in Hexham}}

{{about|the department store|other uses|Robb (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Robbs of Hexham

| logo = Robbs logo.png

| type = Retail

| founder = William Robb

| area_served =

| key_people =

| industry = Retail

| genre = Department Store

| products =

| services =

| revenue =

| operating_income =

| net_income =

| owner =

| num_employees = 140

| parent = Beales

| divisions =

| subsid =

| slogan =

| homepage = [http://www.beales.co.uk] (parent company)

| footnotes =

| foundation = {{start date and age|1818|df=yes}}

| location_city = Hexham

| location_country = England

| location =

| origins =

| dissolved = {{End date and age|2011|df=yes}}

}}

Robbs was a mid-size department store in Hexham, latterly owned by Beales. It was established in 1818 by William Robb a lace trader from Fife and subsequently managed for the next 169 years in an unbroken father to son line for six generations. The store was regularly expanded and developed over the years and at one time occupied 30% of the retail floorspace of Hexham. It has had a long and extravagant history boasting the first electric lights in the town, its own funeral directors service, an upholstery service, haberdashery and dressmaking.

At its peak, the store traded on 5 floors with 80,000 square feet of floor space including a food hall. Over 300 staff were employed in the store in the early 1980s. The store opened a second branch in Hexham in 1989. Robbs at Tynedale Park featured a garden centre, homewares and furnishings. It was later rebranded as Tynedale Park, before being sold to Tesco and closing in 2005.[http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/robbs-store-make-way-40m-4505094 Hexham Courant: Robbs timeline]

The business was sold to the Joplings group in October 1987, and a few years later was acquired by Merchant Retail and Owen Owen, before it was bought by the newly formed Vergo Retail in 2007."Historic shops sold in £5m deal". BBC News (bbc.co.uk). 2005-01-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4187745.stm. Retrieved 2007-03-17

On 7 May 2010 Vergo was placed into administration, with MCR appointed as the administrators. On 11 May 2010 it was announced that there would be ten store closures, including Robbs, within the next four weeks unless a buyer was found.{{Cite news|url=http://www.mcr.uk.com/mcr-appointed-administrators-for-vergo-retail-limited.html|title=MCR appointed administrators for Vergo Retail Limited|date=11 May 2010|publisher=MCR}} By 21 May 2010 Beales had lodged a formal notice of interest in Robbs of Hexham, whilst the administrators asked the Buccleuch Group, owners of the building, and Northumberland County Council to waive rent and rates for ten weeks, to allow the business to be continued to be marketed as a going concern.{{Cite news|url=http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/news-at-a-glance/national-chain-eyes-up-robb-s-1.710986|work=Hexham Courant|title=National chain eyes up Robb's:|author=Helen Compson|date=21 May 2010}} On 4 June 2010 Robbs was sold to Beales for £250,000, saving 140 jobs. Beales aimed to return the store to profitability.{{Cite news|url=http://www.retail-week.com/sectors/department-stores/beales-acquires-robbs-of-hexham/5013710.article|work=Retail Week|title=Beales acquires Robbs of Hexham |author=Amy Shields|date=4 June 2010}} In 2011 the store was rebranded under the Beales fascia, and it closed in February 2020.