Jessops of Nottingham: the 1950s and 1960s

Changing customer demand

The initial years after the end of World War Two saw some successes for Jessops, particularly as stock and goods became more readily available. Demand for some stock did dramatically fall. One particular example of this was the second-hand furniture section. Started during the war to great acclaim, demand plummeted in the years following, to the point where the entire department was discontinued. What was urgent in wartime was suddenly surplus, and what was absent in wartime was suddenly in high demand.

Impressive growth

As goods once again became plentiful, space in the shop was slowly running out. Between the years of 1933 and 1953, sales under the twenty years of the Partnership’s management had multiplied by twelve and a half times. The shop’s impressive return to prosperity had arrived just in time for the 150 anniversary of Jessop and Son.

Further expansion required

The late 1950’s and early 1960’s was a period of expansion for Jessops. Ever increasing popularity was set against the constant need for extra space. For example, in 1960 a proposal was forwarded to add an extra 29,000 additional square feet to the floor space, to be completed in time for Christmas trading in 1962. The finished results went a long way to modernise the interior of the building.