History

The Early Years

The company was started in very small premises in Winner Street, Paignton in 1858. Unusually two sisters opened the business and while one left to get married very quickly the other - Sarah - remained involved with the business until her death and descendants of hers have continued to run the business ever since.

Originally the business was a dress making and haberdashery one as both sisters were seamstresses. In fact Sarah was responsible for some work for royalty in 1911. Over the year the business added various departments to its repertoire. Not all the departments survived the years and a few did not make it off the drawing board.

Over the Years

Physically the store moved in 1888 to its current site in Palace Avenue and has since acquired businesses on either side of the original premises leaving a substantially larger business today. The broad department make up was established just before the second World War with a furniture department added in. In practice over the past two decades the company has taken the view that it would be preferable to do selected areas better and to do away with areas where we feel we are not offering the best service and value that we can.

Further Information

Should anyone be interested in more detailed history of either the family or the business they are welcome to e-mail me (sometime web amateur/sometime chairman) and I will provide what additional detail I can.

There are a number of sites on the internet relating to the Rossiter family and some links to these are provided on our links page.

Where we are Today!

Ultimately the company seeks to provide a good place to shop and a good place to work for an increasingly widening “community”