Wickes
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2008-06-10T10:56:06Z
DuncanHill
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[[Wikipedia:Disambiguation pages with links|dablink repair makes wikilinks work!]] dab [[Penrith]] to [[Penrith, Cumbria]]
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{{Infobox Company
| name = Wickes
| logo = [[Image:WickesLogo.gif]]
| logosize = 275px
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| genre =
| foundation = 1972: First Store opened in UK<br> 1987: Flotation on [[London Stock Exchange]]<br> 2005: Taken Over by [[Travis Perkins]]
| founder =
| location_city = [[Northampton]]
| location_country = [[United Kingdom]]
| location =
| locations =
| area_served = [[United Kingdom]]
| key_people =
| industry = [[Retail]]
| products = [[DIY]]<br>[[Home Improvement]]<br>[[Gardening|Garden Supplies]]
| services =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| parent = [[Travis Perkins plc]]
| divisions =
| subsid =
| homepage = [http://www.wickes.co.uk www.wickes.co.uk]
| footnotes =
| intl =
}}
'''Wickes''' is a UK [[DIY]] retailer owned by [[Travis Perkins]] with 183 stores throughout the country. It focuses on building materials and supplies for the public and trade.
==History==
Wickes was founded by Henry Dunn Wickes in Michigan, USA in 1854 and in 1972 Wickes Corporation along with British builders merchant, Sankeys opened its first store in the UK. By 1987 Wickes was trading from 41 locations and was floated on the London Stock Exchange.
In September 2000, Wickes was acquired by the Focus Group<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2004/dec/17/1 Travis nails Wickes for £950m | Business | The Guardian<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and grew from 131 in October 2000 to 172 in March 2004, including the re-branding of 36 Focus stores. Focus Group sold Wickes to [[Travis Perkins]] in 2005<ref>[http://www.wickes.co.uk/page/corporate Wickes - Corporate<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.
In late 2007 Wickes accquired 7 stores from [[Focus DIY]] after it was taken over in June 2007 by [[Cerberus Capital]] for £1<ref name="guardian.co.uk article regarding sale of FOCUS DIY">
{{cite web
| title = guardian.co.uk - "Focus DIY sold for £1"
| publisher = [[guardian.co.uk]]
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/jun/18/privateequity2
| accessdate = 2008-03-12}}
</ref>, these stores were; [[Glossop]], [[Mansfield]], [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]], [[Bulwell]], [[Plumstead]], [[Dumfries]] and [[Hereford]].
==Future==
Wickes is planning to expand into the Irish market in 2008, with its first Irish store expected to open in [[Limerick|Limerick City]] in June{{Fact|date=April 2008}}.
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Retailers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1972]]