International Tea Co. Stores

International Tea Co. Stores

Company type	Public
Industrie	Einzelhandel
Gegründet	1878
Defunct	1994
Fate	Acquired
Successor	Somerfield
Hauptsitz	London, UK
Produkte	Groceries

International Tea Co. Stores was a leading chain of grocers based in London. It was a constituent of the FT 30 index of leading companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.

History

The business was founded in 1878 by Hudson Kearly (later Viscount Devonport) and Gilbert Augustus Tonge as the International Tea Co., with the objective of selling tea direct to consumers rather than through wholesalers.

Their main blenders were Ridgways.

Soon most towns in the South of England had their own International Tea Co. store, as immortalised in a verse from John Betjeman's poem "Myfanwy":

Smooth down the Avenue glitters the bicycle,
Black-stockinged legs under navy blue serge,
Home and Colonial, Star, International,
Balancing bicycle leant on the verge.

International Tea Co. Stores fell out of the FT30 index in 1947 to conform with market developments at the time.

Demise of the business

The company was subsequently rebranded International Stores and was acquired by BAT Industries in 1972. After acquiring the large foot print Mac Food Centres from Unilever's closure of Mac Fisheries, in 1984 it was sold on to The Dee Corporation. This became Gateway Corporation in 1988, and then Somerfield in 1994.