The Fred Winter Story

The 23 year old Suffolk born Frederick Winter (who also described himself as a draper and auctioneer) opened his first store - selling general drapery, haberdashery and high quality outfitting for gentlemen - at 17 and 18 High Street, Stratford-upon-Avon on 25th June 1858. By 1881, Frederick, his wife Elizabeth and a family of five daughters and three sons, plus shop assistants, Clara Cowles, Frank Gibbons, William Potter and James Thornber and two servants, Mary Lively and May Morris, lived above the shop in what is today Marlow's Restaurant.

It was Stratford's first real department store (the Shipston sheep farmer JC Smith didn't open his store, now Debenhams, until 1870) and was a huge success not only with the towns growing population, but with the customers from far and wide as is the case today.
Frederick Winter died in 1897 aged 62, leaving the running of the business to his 31 year old son, Fred. Fred was a skillful retailer and businessman who by 1908 had incorporated the spacious premises at 14 High Street (a toy and fancy goods shop owned by John Lill, who also ran a toy factory in the town) and number 16 High Street (previously a private house owned by Frederick Winter's niece, Sarah Cobeen) and turned it into a thriving business.


In March 1917 Fred bought the freehold of Reynolds Grocery Store at 30 and 31 High Street and for the next seven years the company operated from both sides of the street selling everything from reels of cotton, luggage, straw borders to Aquascutum coats. The lease holds of 14, 16, 17 and 18 High Street were relinquished in 1924 and the Fred Winter store, opening solely from 30-31 High Street became a limited company. By this time Mr Fred Winter had also become a popular local dignitary, serving as mayor on more than one occasion and was responsible, with Marie Corelli, in uncovering and restoring many of the famous half-timbered buildings in Stratford. He died, aged 71 in 1941.

The business then passed to his 43 year old son, Frederick Charles (Eric) Winter, who instigated many innovative retailing changes, plus the modernisation and enlargement of the store, which - with the building of Bell Court in the 1970s - included a large modern extension onto the back of the existing Fred Winter Ltd. frontage in High Street.


Frederick Brian Winter, the great-grandson of the founder, took over the business in 1973, which, under his skillful guidance, achieved unrivaled levels of success over the next 25 years. By the early 1990s, with Brian's son Guy Winter, now in the business, the store became renowned for selling an ever increasing range of merchandise that included furniture, carpets, furnishing fabrics, dress fabrics, haberdashery, ladies fashion and lingerie, bed linen, gifts, and china and glass.

But sadly, byt the late 1990s, Bell Court was becoming rather run-down and a decision was made to build a brand new store behind an existing building in Henley Street. The large and stylish building was completed in 1999 and has undoubtedly become, over the years, Stratford's premier store, with an ever growing range of value conscious merchandise. Although Brian Winters still likes to work a couple of days a week the company is now under the overall direction of Guy Winter.