The collapse of Debenhams, and House of Fraser’s steep decline, have shown how department stores have fallen out of favour in recent years.
But 150 years ago the department store was a revolutionary concept, and one in Peckham eventually rivalled the shops of Oxford Street.
Introducing the Jones & Higgins Department Store. It opened in 1867 as a single store but, over the following 30 years, grew to encompass much of the high street, and become a Peckham landmark.
Bold Beginnings
In 1867, six years after Prince Albert’s death, two cloth merchants trading on Rye Lane decided to join forces and attempt a joint venture.
Having saved £210, George Randell Higgins and Edwin Jones rented a twelve square-foot premise at 3 Rye Lane. They were humble beginnings for the pair, who moved their families into the shop to save money. But they’d recognised Rye Lane’s potential.
For years, Peckham High Street had been the area’s principal commercial thoroughfare. By the 1860s, plans were being drawn up to widen the high street. This would have the effect of opening Rye Lane up to more through traffic which eventually became the area’s dominant shopping parade.
Having had the foresight to buy premises on this fledgling commercial hotspot, Jones and Higgins were soon reaping the rewards. By 1876 they occupied 3 to 13 Rye Lane and fourteen years later, in 1890, even more shops were being acquired.
Henry Jarvis was commissioned to design the new building being built at the junction with Peckham High Street. By 1894, 62 Peckham High Street became the clock tower building. Based on a clock in Venice’s Piazza San Marco, the building is now an iconic part of the Peckham cityscape.
A Roaring Trade
The Jones & Higgins Department Store quickly gained an excellent reputation and began providing real competition to the shops established on Oxford Street.
In a presentation for Peckham Heritage available on YouTube, local Historian Nancy Coleman-Frank said: “The store became legendary, maintaining its reputation for honourable trading, courtesy to customers and value for money.”
Among the shops were an ironmongery department, a carpet shop, a delicatessen, a furniture store, and a glass and china department. Although normal to modern shoppers, the idea of providing such an array of services, along with basic amenities like toilets, was revolutionary and kept people shopping for longer.
Shareholders were also able to foster a sense of community with popular events like fashion shows and Santa’s grottos. People who grew up in Peckham in the 60s will fondly remember teas, luncheons and Christmas shows, which were held until 1966.
However, postwar economic changes started casting the viability of high streets in doubt as out-of-town shopping centres shifted the balance away from inner-city competitors.
Peckham also struggled with high unemployment and a lack of economic opportunities in the ‘70s, meaning people had less disposable cash. The Jones & Higgins Department Store closed its doors in 1980.
The Department Store Today
Part of the building was demolished meaning only the Victorian HSBC bank building and the clock tower building, with its elaborate Renaissance-style detailing, were retained.
Some of the building was later taken over by the Peckham Palais nightclub which also closed around ten years ago. On the ground floor, there is currently a Costa coffee store.
The Victorian Society lists the Jones & Higgins Department Store as one of its top ten most endangered buildings.
But despite the efforts of Nancy Coleman-Frank, Historic England has refused to consider giving the building listed status saying it lacks “special architectural and historic interest”.
The images used in this article were kindly supplied by Southwark Archives. The archives are that we are open to visitors and information on how to book a visit is available online.