Barkers history

Throughout the War years, Barkers supplied and fitted many officers' uniform. Great quantities of dyed black cotton cloth were sold for the blackout and the store also became well known for supplying Linoleum flooring.

After the war, the business became a limited company and started to expand by buying adjoining properties which were developed for other retailing lines - furnishings, china and glass, cookware, soaps and perfumes, and a restaurant - until Barkers became Northallerton's department store in the true sense of the word.

In 1994 the Furniture and Carpet departments were relocated into a 40,000 sq. ft. purpose built store with free parking on the edge of town, complete with its own 65 seat 'Terrace Cafe'.

The free space in the Department Store was then used to enlarge the Fashion, Menswear, and Homeware departments.

Barkers is still a privately owned and run family business and is dedicated to offering quality merchandise, value and good service to its customers.


BARKERS - THE FAMILY BUSINESS

History records that the Northallerton branch of the Barker's family tree can be traced back to 1631, and that for the next 250 years, every last one of them was a farmer. Until, in 1882, the 14 year old William Barker, started his apprenticeship with Oxendale's, the local draper's shop in Northallerton. Eventually the shop became known as Oxendale & Barkers and then, simply Barkers, as it is today. From those early days to the end of the First World War, the store specialised in fabrics and millinery ... the former displayed in great rolls on the shop floor and sold by the old-fashioned yard. There were hessians, shirtings, dress fabrics, tweeds, cottons, linens, blanket wools, sheetings and even braids to protect the hems of ladies' skirts brushing on the pavements. In 1921, Williams' son Leslie joined his father and two brothers in the business and Mike Scales and Don Raper - both eventually Directors - started work there shortly afterwards, their only break being for RAF service during the Second World War.

Throughout the War years, Barkers supplied and fitted many officers' uniform. Great quantities of dyed black cotton cloth were sold for the blackout and the store also became well known for supplying Linoleum flooring. After the war, the business became a limited company and started to expand by buying adjoining properties which were developed for other retailing lines - furnishings, china and glass, cookware, soaps and perfumes, and a restaurant - until Barkers became Northallerton's department store in the true sense of the word. In 1994 the Furniture and Carpet departments were relocated into a 40,000 sq. ft. purpose built store with free parking on the edge of town, complete with its own 65 seat 'Terrace Cafe'. The free space in the Department Store was then used to enlarge the Fashion, Menswear, and Homeware departments. Barkers is still a privately owned and run family business and is dedicated to offering quality merchandise, value and good service to its customers.