[1] The trust started buying up department stores: Hinds & Co, John Blundell, Shinners, S. Young & Son and Hawes Brothers, as well as retailers Walker & Penistans and Joseph Carton and Co,[2] in the London suburbs under the stewardship of Charterhouse chairman Sir Arthur Wheeler, 1st Baronet.
[5][6] In 1928, Henry Glave, a department store in New Oxford Street acquired the business under the management of Sir Arthur Wheeler, 1st Baronet, who had recently resigned from Charterhouse.
[15] Control of the John Anstee group of large drapery outlets and department stores, including Arding & Hobbs in Battersea and Owles & Beaumont, drapers in Brompton Road[16] London, was secured in 1948.
[18][19] A further thirty-seven shops were added to the business in 1950 when it took over the Scottish clothes chain Claude Alexander,[20] while Reading department store Heelas was bought from Charles Clore, but sold three years later to the John Lewis Partnership.
[20] In 1954 UDS acquired Alexandre Limited, a Leeds-based multiple tailor with over 88 stores owned by Bernard[23] and Jack Lyons and their families.
[39] In 1972, UDS made an offer to purchase Debenhams, along with interest from Sears plc and Tesco, but were fought off by chairman Sir Anthony Burney.
[55] In 1983 the group was acquired after a takeover battle by Hanson Trust, beating Gerald Ronson's Heron International[56] with a bid of £264 million and was largely broken up.
[58] Richard Shops was sold to Sir Terence Conran's Habitat Mothercare Group plc after a failed management buyout.