Kennards

Kennards was a small department store chain that was started in 1853, founded on the principle of selling reliable goods at low profit margins.

Its main Croydon branch was notable for the full-length windows which ran the length of the store.

The new store was sited on some of the original footprint and anchored the Drummond Centre, which was later expanded and renamed Centrale.

[4] In the 1920s the business grew again, with motor vans replacing the horse drawn delivery carts, and the store being rebuilt with a new entrance and a second floor being added.

In the 1920s Kennards introduced Pony rides for children in store, which continued to run until 1966.

One year Kennards claimed to have the largest Father Christmas in the world, 46 stone.