Storehouse

Describes the origins and development of the companies that merged to form Storehouse in 1985; and the overall performance of the group in the subsequent five years. Highlights the failure of entrepreneurial leadership under Selim Zilkha and then Terence Conran; and the problems of such different component companies forming one group. Each component company was so different that it ultimately proved to be impossible to develop an integrated strategy for the whole group. Presently, the only companies prospering are BhS and Mothercare; the two companies that initially had good control systems.