To spot Allders, look ahead for a grand cream-and-stone building crowned with tall blue banners displaying the name “Allders;” it’s right along the main high street, with large windows and a classic department store entrance.
Alright, time for a little stroll through history! Picture yourself standing outside this impressive, stone-fronted building-facing a true Croydon icon that once buzzed with all the life and drama of a period drama crossed with an epic shopping spree. Imagine silk dresses fluttering in display windows and the clatter of horse-drawn carts outside as Joshua Allder, a sharp-eyed shopkeeper from Walworth, first opened his doors here in 1862. Back then, he sold linen, silk, and haberdashery to Croydon’s growing crowd, with special offers that drew in everyone from the thrifty penny-pincher to the high-fashion lady. He even had a whole section for morning dresses, because, as everyone knows, you can’t wear an evening gown to a brunch-unless you’re making quite the statement.
Allder was ambitious. His shop spread out like jam on toast, swallowing up more and more of North End. By 1870, he’d expanded into several neighboring buildings, though he had to wait 20 years to get his hands on that pesky No. 105, held up by a stubborn bakery. With his fortune growing, Allder made waves not just in fashion, but in local politics and worker’s rights. In fact, thanks to him, Croydon’s shop workers got a half-day off on Wednesdays-a local dream come true.
Allders became a family business with serious hustle, but in 1908, it was bought by two more retail titans with their own department store empires. Over the next decades, the shop seemed to balloon to fit Croydon’s unstoppable growth. In 1926, that iconic North End façade you see now was built, tying together what had become a sprawling labyrinth of departments-a shopper’s paradise, or nightmare if you didn’t like walking.
Speaking of labyrinths, did you know in the 1930s they built an arcade running from North End all the way to George Street? It quickly became the place to be, rain or shine, for Croydon’s fashion-forward and the “just-here-for-a-cup-of-tea” crowd. Even the damage from World War II couldn’t close Allders’ doors. Imagine the noise and chaos as glass was replaced and bricks were mended-but Croydon residents still poured in for their knickknacks and cakes.
By the 1960s and 1970s, Allders had become absolutely gigantic-third biggest department store in the whole of the UK, trailing only behind giants like Harrods and Selfridges. At its zenith, it boasted 1,700 staff, over 500,000 square feet of retail space, and the largest carpet department in Europe. Bet your feet would get tired just hearing about it! And if you wanted to lose your mum, this was the place to do it.
Allders weathered the storm of fierce competition. Debenhams next door used to be a rival called Kennards, but slowly, Croydon’s retail world was swallowed up by bigger, snazzier groups. In the late twentieth century, Allders became part of several corporate adventures, spreading its brand across England and Wales, with the famous brown, cream, and orange colours giving way to glossy blues and golds. It opened new stores, new departments, and even a Fourth Floor on the roof, with restaurants and a brand-new audio and TV department. Allders was on fire-well, not literally, thankfully.
But then came the twist in our tale: the crash. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, competition was fierce, plans for massive new shopping centres loomed, and the shop’s fortunes became tangled in corporate buyouts and complicated leases. By 2005, Allders as a chain was in administration, stores were closed or sold, but Croydon’s flagship held on-like the last one standing at a conga line. The store even managed to make a profit for a while, but with the retail world changing and costs piling up, it finally closed for good in 2012. After more than 150 years, the building that outlasted blitz bombs, bad fashion, and even worse business decisions finally fell silent.
So as you stand here, imagine the cheerful hubbub and dazzling displays that once filled these halls-and maybe raise an imaginary glass to Allders, “all that a great store should be.” Keep your eyes open-maybe, just maybe, you’ll spot a ghostly shop assistant still wondering where she put the buttons aisle. Now, onward, let’s discover Croydon’s next story!
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