Part of the former store—the section at numbers 41 and 42 East Street, acquired in 1882—is listed at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

[4] North Street runs westwards from Old Steine, Brighton's original fashionable centre, and forms the northern boundary of the old town.

[5] At that time, its eastern end (which widened to form Castle Square) was home to popular inns and served as the terminus for coaches from London.

At number 3 North Street, next to the main coach office, stood a small shop unit measuring 30 by 12 feet (9.1 m × 3.7 m); a contemporary illustration showed it to be a squat two-storey building with large bay windows.

[6] Smith Hannington acquired it in 1808, but the circumstances are uncertain: he either bought it from a debt-ridden business associate, or already part-owned it and gained the whole share when the co-owner died.

James's intellectual curiosity was "totally unsuited to business life", and after studying at Oxford he became the first Bishop of Equatorial East Africa and was martyred in 1885.

As this department grew, a large purpose-built furniture depository was needed, and local architects Clayton & Black designed a distinctive domed building for this purpose.

In 1882, a year after Charles Hannington died and his son Samuel took over, the store was expanded around the corner when numbers 41 and 42 East Street were acquired.

Staff facilities were also progressive: a social club, library, annual outings, on-site living accommodation and "well above average" wages were offered.

[28] In 1896, Hanningtons became a public limited company, but the family connection remained: Samuel was the managing director and his son Charles was his deputy.

[29] Hanningtons was a mid-market retailer, offering both ready-to-wear and bespoke clothing[32] as well as many other services, and several competitors emerged locally from the late 19th century.

[35] A newspaper advertisement of that era list Hanningtons' products and services as "Haberdashers, Woollen and Linen Drapers, Carpet and Furniture Warehousemen, Family and General Mourning [Clothes], Undertakers, House and Estate Agents, Auctioneers, Valuers etc.".

[32] Later in the 20th century, such diverse new departments as bespoke school uniforms, specialist costumery, fur coats and gramophones were introduced.

[36] Also, Hanningtons were a pioneer in the concept of in-store concessions, where companies providing certain specialist products were given space in the store in exchange for a commission on every sale.

[34] Another innovation was the layout adopted in the furniture department, where items were placed in realistic settings imitating the rooms of a house—a rare concept outside of high-end stores in London.

[39][40] Normal service resumed after the war, and expansion continued at first: Hanningtons Motors was founded on the site of the present Van Alen Building on the seafront.

[43] The new owners retained close links with the Royal Sussex County Hospital and other healthcare institutions such as the Brighton Health Committee and St. John Ambulance, reflecting the late Dorothy Hannington's interest in that area.

The store was reopened temporarily, and "a large crowd gathered" to bid for the 750 lots—some of which sold for many times higher than their guide price.

[56] The units at 39–42 East Street, the Grade II-listed section, were occupied by clothing retailer Monsoon by 2010,[57] but in July 2014 the store moved to the Churchill Square shopping centre.

[60] Brighton Museum & Art Gallery holds items including a Hanningtons bag, a silk and wool bodice made in the 1870s, and an 1890s satin mourning mantle.

[66] In February 2017, European retail real estate investment manager Redevco began work redeveloping much of the old Hanningtons building on North Street into a new lane named in its honour.

[69] The Grade II-listed section fronting East Street was designed in about 1866 by Henry Jarvis in a High Victorian Gothic style.

[64][57] The rear section of the store faces Brighton Place and was redesigned in the mid-20th century by local architect John Leopold Denman.

[70] The units at 6–9 North Street, built for the Brighton Union Bank in 1896 to the design of architect Arthur Keen, have prominent bay windows with large mullions and transoms.