[1] It brought together the disparate drapery businesses acquired by Selfridge since 1918 and provided a strong vehicle for new acquisitions.
The marketing techniques which had proved successful at Selfridges' flagship Oxford Street store were employed across the group.
The first purchase made by the company was the Bon Marché group in south London, owners of Pratts of Streatham, Barrett Brothers of Clapham and Quin & Axten, as well as the eponymous Brixton flagship.
A year later Cole Brothers of Sheffield was added and by 1929 Selfridges combined trading activities formed the biggest retail group in Europe.
With the advent of the Second World War Harry Selfridge left Britain for the safety of America and in 1941 his title of president was removed and he was ousted from the board of Selfridges & Co.[1] The struggling SPS group, reduced to sixteen department stores by this time, was sold to the John Lewis Partnership in 1940.