Description
In 1979 our founder, Bill Adderley, saw an opportunity in textiles, so he and his wife Jean decided to invest in a batch of second-hand, ready-made curtains, ‘seconds’ curtains and bedding, and slippers. They set up their stall at Leicester Market, and by the early 1980s had opened their first high street shop. Our story really does begin at home. Dunelm is, in fact, the name of the house where Bill, Jean and family lived when they first started on the market stall.
Following the success of the early high street stores, Dunelm continued to grow. After opening the first out-of-town Dunelm Mill store in Rotherham in 1994, Will Adderley, Bill and Jean’s son, was appointed Managing Director a couple of years later. He oversaw a period of significant store expansion, while also opening a new head office and purpose-built warehouse. By 2010 the business had opened its 100th store, having been listed on the London Stock Exchange a few years earlier.
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