B&Q was founded in March 1969 in Southampton, England, by Richard Block and David Quayle, following the purchase and fitting out of a former furniture warehouse in the Southampton suburb of Portswood. Originally called Block & Quayle, the duo soon shortened the brand to B&Q as stock delivery notes and invoices were already unofficially abbreviating the name. By each working over sixty hour, six day weeks, they were able to repay their bank overdraft within six months of opening, with turnover reaching £1million within the first five years of operating. Following the departure of co founder Block in 1976, the chain
Fast Retailing the first section (large companies) of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The company also owns the American brand Theory; Fast Retailing acquired "an equity stake in Link Theory Holdings Co Ltd, the marketer of the Theory and Helmut Lang apparel brands, in 2004". It acquired the rest of the company in 2009. In 2007, it unsuccessfully offered a bid of US$900 million for Barneys New York department store to the Jones Apparel Group. In 2012, the company purchased an 80% stake of premium denim company J Brand for US$290 million and US$10 million in advisory legal fees. Fast Retailing In addition