Littlewoods
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail, Football betting |
| Founded | 1923 in Liverpool, England |
| Founder | John Moores |
| Defunct | 2005 |
| Fate | Dissolved; brand continues through The Very Group |
| Headquarters | Liverpool , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom, Ireland (online) |
Key people | John Moores (founder) |
| Products | Retail, Football pools betting |
Number of employees | 25,000 (at peak) |
| Parent | The Very Group (post-2004) |
| Website | www |
Littlewoods was established in 1923 in Liverpool, England, by John Moores as a company specializing in retail and football betting. By the 1980s, it had grown to become the largest privately owned business in Europe. However, increased market competition and the advent of the Internet led to its decline. The original enterprise, which once employed 4,000 staff members, was dissolved in 2005; nevertheless, its brand persists through The Very Group as the online retailer Littlewoods.com.
History
The firm began in 1923 as a football pools operation called Littlewoods Pools. Following early financial setbacks and partners withdrawing, John Moores expanded into mail-order retail by 1932. The initial catalogue was distributed to pools participants, mainly attracting women who organized themselves into 'clubs' that acted as retail representatives. The mail-order segment expanded steadily, culminating in the opening of Littlewoods’ first high-street store in 1937, located in Blackpool.
At its zenith, Littlewoods employed about 25,000 individuals and was recognized as the largest family-owned company in the United Kingdom. By 1982, it held the status of Europe’s largest private enterprise. Additionally, Littlewoods operated an e-commerce platform serving the Irish market; in July 2022, 'Littlewoods Ireland' underwent rebranding to 'Very Ireland,' aligning with its parent company’s primary brand identity.
Retail arm
Littlewoods played a significant role in shifting retail presence from traditional town-centre locations to new developments predominantly situated within enterprise zones, taking advantage of financial incentives available there. A notable example was the store at Merry Hill, which opened on 14 November 1989. The emergence of the Internet revolutionized catalogue shopping, causing a decline in telephone orders after the mid-1990s. Consequently, Littlewoods began shuttering physical stores during this period, with the Merry Hill branch among those closed by 1996.
In October 2002, ownership of Littlewoods’ shopping and catalogue operations transferred from the Moores family to David and Frederick Barclay for £750 million.
By 2004, Littlewoods merged with Kays Catalogues to create the Littlewoods Shop Direct Group (currently known as The Very Group). This merger led to the shutdown of numerous distribution centres, including Kays’ primary facilities in Worcester and Leeds, alongside reductions at Littlewoods’ Liverpool sites.
The retailer Index ceased operations in early 2005 after failing to achieve profitability for 18 out of its 20 years and accumulating losses amounting to £100 million. Approximately half of its standalone outlets were sold to competitor Argos, while concessions within Littlewoods stores were discontinued.
Also in 2005, plans were announced to close 119 Littlewoods stores. Around 40 of these were sold to Primark, a subsidiary of ABF.
Football pools
Littlewoods Pools was the pioneering business that grew into the world’s largest football pools operator. It became the inaugural sponsor of the FA Cup, with notable winners such as Viv Nicholson attracting public interest and inspiring both the play and musical Spend, Spend, Spend. In June 1961, Littlewoods expanded by acquiring Sherman's Pools.
Following the launch of the National Lottery in 1994, Littlewoods initiated an extensive advertising campaign to distinguish its pools from other gambling products, achieving short-term gains. In 2000, ownership of Littlewoods Pools was transferred by the Moores family to Rodime, partially owned by Bank of Scotland, for £160 million. At that point, it still engaged around one million players weekly. The transaction included its online platform bet247.co.uk and telephone betting service Bet Direct, along with rights to use the Littlewoods brand name for an additional ten years.
Fire Incident at Former Littlewoods Headquarters
On 2 September 2018, a fire broke out at the old Littlewoods Pools headquarters. The structure had remained unoccupied since 2003, and fortunately, there were no reported casualties.