Sears Holdings Ltd

Notes:

Sears Holdings was initially an important corporate vehicle of Sir Charles Clore, 1904-79, a self made businessman who from late 1940s bought and sold businesses, often acquired through contested takeovers and often for asset stripping and speculative profit. His main interests were retailing and property development. He owned, inter alia, British Shoe Corp Ltd (shoe retail and manufacture), Mappin & Webb Ltd (silversmiths), Selfridges (via Lewis's Investment Trust Ltd), William Hill Ltd (bookmakers), Bentley Engineering Group (textile machinery manufacturers). Many were held by Sears Holdings Ltd which he bought in 1953 as J Sears (True Form Boot) Co Ltd, owners of Freeman, Hardy & Willis Ltd. Sears was renamed Sears Holdings in 1955. His property interests were held by City & Central Investments Ltd which merged in 1960 with City Centre Properties Ltd, the property vehicle of Jack Cotton, to form City Centre which was acquired by Land Securities in 1968. Early on the issuing house for takeovers, which he owned, was Investment Registry Ltd. Sears Holdings was renamed Sears Plc in 1985. In the 1970 and 80s many of its businesses were sold. In 1999 acquired by Sir Philip Green