Colin's Little Known Facts: Dixons and Southend
Dixons, the well known High Street electrical chain, began in Southend.
Charles Kalms originated Dixons when opening a photographic studio in the Essex seaside town in 1937.
For many years the company were known purely for cameras and other photographic equipment, but they later expanded into the kind of store we know today, selling a wide range of high tech electrical goods.
I was at school with one of the Kalms family in the 1950s, although I didn’t then realise how prominent the family business would become.
Dixons are now part of a group which also includes the similar Currys stores, which incidentally started in Leicester, and The Link mobile phone specialists.
It was, however, announced last week that the Dixons name is to disappear from the High Street. The stores are to be renamed Currys.com
Posted by colin on Friday 14th April, 2006 at 7:37am