Schofields (department store)
{{Short description|Department store in Leeds, England}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Schofields
| logo =
| slogan =
| type = Department store
| fate = Takeover by House of Fraser
| Predecessor =
| successor =
| foundation = {{start date and age|1901|df=yes}}
| defunct = {{End date and age|1996|df=yes}}
| industry = Retail
| products =
| key_people = Snowden Schofield, Ronald Schofield (Snowden's son, died 1969), Peter Dawson Schofield, (Snowden's son, died 1996)
| num_employees =
| parent =
| subsid =
}}
Schofields was a department store that operated on the Headrow in Leeds, England, from 1901 to 1996. For much of the 20th century Schofields was regarded as being the pinnacle of shopping in Leeds city centre.{{Cite web |url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/yorkshire-diary/Store-was-once--among.4047244.jp |title=Store was once among the elite |access-date=7 July 2008 |date=5 March 2008 |work=Yorkshire Evening Post|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505131810/http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/yorkshire-diary/Store-was-once--among.4047244.jp |archive-date=5 May 2013 }}
The site is now home to The Core, formerly The Headrow Centre.{{Cite web |url=http://www.leedsinitiative.org/citycentre/page.aspx?id=6734 |title=Retail Developments |access-date=22 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206062127/http://www.leedsinitiative.org/citycentre/page.aspx?id=6734 |archive-date=6 December 2010 }} Schofields also had department stores in Harrogate (an acquisition of a former Debenhams department store, named Cresta House, on James Street), Skipton (an acquisition of the former Ledgard & Wynn department store) (closed 1986){{cite news|url=https://www.cravenherald.co.uk/nostalgia/nostalgia_pick/8960981.from-the-archives/|title=From the archives|work=Craven Herald|date=9 April 2011|access-date=19 May 2021}} and Sheffield (a 1972 acquisition of the Cockaynes department store on Angel Street).{{cite news|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/halls-delight-rare-pictures-yorkshires-favourite-department-stores|title=Halls of delight: Rare pictures of Yorkshire’s favourite department stores|work=The Yorkshire Post|date=1 May 2020|access-date=19 May 2021}} The Sheffield store closed in 1982{{cite web|url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/8c047d37-6e77-4cb3-a9af-61d682f19b7d|title=SCHOFIELDS (YORKSHIRE) LTD. DEPARTMENT STORE, SHEFFIELD|website=National Archive|access-date=19 May 2021}} and now trades as a Tenpin bowling alley on the ground floor with offices on the upper floors and the Harrogate branch now trades as Hoopers. The only visible evidence pointing to the existence of Schofields in Leeds was a NCP multi-storey car park, located near to the former department store premises, on Albion Street that continued to use the name of 'Schofields Car Park' despite the demise of this department store (but was rebranded in 2009 as "The Core" car park).
History
The store was founded by Snowden Schofield on Saturday 4 May 1901 in a single unit as a "fancy drapers and milliners" with a staff of two then expanded in the following years into other units.{{Cite web|url=http://www.leodis.net/discovery/discovery.asp?page=20031028_930446804|title=Discovering Leeds. The Headrow |access-date=21 July 2011 |date=25 March 2003 |publisher=Leeds City Council }} The premises were originally a mixture of Victorian era buildings which included a shopping arcade, called the Victoria Arcade, running through the store.{{Cite web|url=http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/leeds/local/TRA23366.html?ixsid=lo27t5_3VCx |title=The Leodis Photographic Tour Of Central Leeds. Schofield' s Department Store, 18th December 1949. |access-date=7 July 2008 |last=Gibson |first=Rose |date=3 August 2004 |publisher=24-hour museum |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519030617/http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/leeds/local/TRA23366.html?ixsid=lo27t5_3VCx |archive-date=19 May 2011 }}
The Leeds store was rebuilt in 1962 in a modernist style typical of the era. In September 1984 the business was sold to Clayform Properties Ltd who had intended to redevelop the site but planning permission was not granted. In 1988 the store was sold to the Al Fayed brothers who also owned Harrods and were then owners of House of Fraser. Following this, the store, whilst retaining the Schofields name, became part of the House of Fraser chain. This led to the 1987 reconstruction of the 1960s store which included reducing the size of the actual store and creating an adjoining shopping centre which became known as the Schofields Centre. During the construction work Schofields was located on Briggate in a former Woolworths store. With the opening of the new Schofields in 1990 it was decided that the temporary store on Briggate would be retained by the company and be known as Rackhams, another trading name used by House of Fraser. The new Schofields on the Headrow closed down on 27 July 1996 due to competition from the other House of Fraser store on Briggate and as a result of consolidation by House of Fraser as a whole. This Briggate store was later rebranded as House of Fraser, which it remained until its closure in 2022. The building was subsequently demolished and, as of 2024, is being redeveloped as ground floor retail with multiple floors of student accommodation above.{{Cite web |last=Corcoran |first=Sophie |date=2022-06-19 |title='Disgust' at Leeds' House of Fraser replacement as new look unveiled |url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/best-in-leeds/fury-what-replace-house-fraser-24267295 |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=Leeds Live |language=en}}
Schofield Centre
File:Food court in The Core, Leeds (21st December 2015).JPG
The new Schofields Centre opened with other retailers renting retail units. These included HMV and Marks & Spencer. Marks & Spencer later closed this outlet due to the expansion of their premises on nearby Briggate and HMV moved into the former M&S in about 1996.
The former Schofields premises which had become the Schofields Centre subsequently became known as The Headrow Centre. This centre had been occupied by Lillywhites sportswear retailer between 1996 and 2001 and was later occupied by several chain stores including Sports Direct, New Look and HMV. The Headrow Centre management has recently let most of the tenancy agreements run out in order to redevelop the premises in the hope of attracting more business.
The decision to let tenancy agreements expire, whilst only giving the shops 28 days notice of the closure in most cases, has caused negative media comments to be directed towards the centre. Many of the stores that have been in the centre for up to 15 years are being forced to close down and the staff are being given very little time to find new jobs. It was also seen as the centre was 'killing' off the small businesses in order to attract more chain stores.
The renovations were estimated to take 18 months to complete and 10 stores will be remaining open while the work is going on. The new centre has been finished in late 2009 and traded as The Core due to its place in the core of the city centre.{{Cite web|url=http://www.leedsliveitloveit.com/Residents/News/NewsArticle/tabid/432/ItemId/2474/Details/Default.aspx |title=New look for Leeds' Headrow development |access-date=7 July 2008 |date=28 April 2008 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2010}} The Core was now home to new stores including a combined Bank and JD Sports store, a Cotswold store and a USC sports shop. A new food court seating 500 people was intended to be located above New Look. The design features include the extensive use of glass. The developer, the Propinvest Group, has described the Leeds development as its flagship centre.
However, between July 2011 and early 2025, many interior retail units within The Core remained vacant and the proposed food court had been occupied by a gymnasium which closed before demolition started.{{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/lloydspencer/4209335233/|title=At The Core|date=22 December 2009|access-date=13 September 2024|via=Flickr}}{{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/egfocus/3954824495/|title=Inside "The Core", Leeds|date=25 September 2009|access-date=13 September 2024|via=Flickr}}
As of March 2024 planning permission has been granted for the demolition of The Core and its redevelopment as three separate blocks of ground floor retail with six floors of student accommodation above and new roads or pedestrian areas will be created between the blocks. Before its demolition, OneBeyond opened in the former HMV unit. During demolition, Footasylum closed its doors permanently.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?ID=5191&DISPLAY=FULL Leodis: 1949 Image of first incarnation of Schofields]
- [http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?ID=9615&DISPLAY=FULL Leodis: 1967 Image of 1962–1988 Schofields building]
- [http://www.leodis.org/discovery/images/2003123_316991151.jpg Leodis: 1999 Image of former Schofields whilst it was a branch of Lillywhites]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930153714/http://www.leeds.gov.uk/discover/discovery.asp?page=20031028_930446804&topic=2003114_561367214&subsection=2003114_579372585&subsubsection=2003114_430202663 Schofields on Discovering Leeds]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716030653/http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/PrintMessages.aspx?ThreadID=1428 Secret Leeds Thread on the Schofield's Department Store]
{{Shopping centres in Yorkshire and the Humber}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schofields (Department Store)}}
Category:Buildings and structures in Leeds
Category:Defunct retail companies of the United Kingdom
Category:Defunct department stores of the United Kingdom
Category:British companies established in 1901
Category:1901 establishments in England
Category:British companies disestablished in 1996
Category:1996 disestablishments in England