The company played a significant role in establishing Kensington High Street as one of London's principal shopping destinations for most of the twentieth century.

In 1870 John Barker and James Whitehead opened a small drapery business at 91–93 Kensington High Street.

By 1871, he had purchased 87 Kensington High Street and opened men's tailoring and children's outfitting departments.

In 1894, the business was incorporated with John Barker as the chairman of the board, joined by his brother Francis and H H Johnstone (both established partners in the firm), along with Tresham Gilbey (his son-in-law) and J G Barnes, the former manager of the Kensington branch of Parr's Banking Co.

In 1924 the business opened new shops in Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester selling pianos and gramophones, but this venture proved a failure and the provincial branches were shut in 1926.

[2] More successful was the 1925 acquisition of Zeeta Cake Company, a high-class bakery and confectionery business, created in 1919 by a group of John Barker & Co directors.

The purchase extended Barkers' own already well-established catering operations and eventually up to twenty Zeeta branches would be opened in the London area.

The site had previously been occupied by the temporary home of a number of departments following the fire of 1912, with the freehold acquired by the company in 1919.

During the 1930s the company started ambitious work to rebuild both the Barkers and Derry & Toms stores in a phased development.

[2] Despite bomb damage to Derry & Toms, the Barker businesses maintained profits during the war and continued to grow.

In 1972, following the accommodation of Pontings' business, a refurbishment of the main Barker store was carried out to allow for the absorption of Derry & Toms' trade.

In addition, the reconfigured building incorporated garden terraces, an arcade of small shops on the ground floor and a much reduced Barkers department store.