Roys of Wroxham is a family owned group of general stores based in Hoveton, Norfolk. Following a competition in the early 1930s, the store uses the motto "The World's Largest Village Store" in all its advertising and literature.[1]
 Plaque of Fred Roy | |
| Company type | Retail |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Genre | Department Store |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Founder | Alfred and Arnold Roy |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Norfolk and Suffolk |
| Owner | The Roy family |
Number of employees | 900 |
| Website | www.roys.co.uk |
History
edit
Roys was founded in 1895 when brothers Alfred and Arnold Roy opened their general store in the village of Coltishall. In 1899, a second store was opened in Hoveton. Following the deaths of the founders in the 1950s the business passed to Alfred's children with Fred Roy being appointed chairman and managing director. After his death in 1994, his brother Peter succeeded him as chairman of the board. He served as chairman until his death in 2004, but not before his sons Edward and Paul had joined the board of directors.[1] In 1995, there was a catastrophic fire in the Wroxham Roys branch, costing the firm over 5 million pounds.[2]
Branches
edit- Hoveton
- Beccles
- Norwich, adjacent to Anglia Square Shopping Centre
- Bowthorpe, Norwich
- (Until 1995) Eaton, Norwich (now Waitrose)
- North Walsham
- Dereham
- Thetford
- Sudbury
- (Until 2007) Bury St. Edmunds
References
edit- ^ a b Roys of Wroxham-history Retrieved 25 January 2011
- ^ Cooper-Fiske, Casey (2021-08-31). "The world's largest village store: A look at the history of Roys". North Norfolk News. Retrieved 2022-08-17.