Jacksons (department store) facts for kids

Jacksons was a famous department store in England. It was started by Edward Jackson in September 1875. The main store was in Reading, Berkshire, at a well-known spot called Jacksons Corner. This building was special because a hidden waterway, The Holy Brook, flowed deep beneath it! At its busiest, Jacksons had seven stores. The very last store in Reading closed its doors in December 2013. The Jackson family owned the company for its entire history.

The Story of Jacksons Department Store

Jacksons of Reading in 2013

Jacksons of Reading, the last window display commemorating 1875-2013

On September 17, 1875, Edward Jackson opened a shop for men's clothing. It was located on Kings Road in Reading. The business grew and became E. Jackson & Sons Ltd. in 1919.

The shop expanded into a large department store. It took over the entire corner of Kings Road and High Street. It sold many things, like clothes for women, shoes, and craft supplies. Jacksons also became a main place to buy school uniforms in Reading.

Expansion and Closures

Over time, Jacksons opened more stores in other towns. These included Caversham, Goring-on-Thames, Bracknell, Camberley, Henley, and Oxford. However, all these extra stores closed by 1994. This left only the original store in Reading. It was then known as Jacksons of Reading.

Brian Carter, the founder's great-grandson, started working there in the 1960s. He became the Managing Director. He stayed in this role until the store closed on December 24, 2013.

Jacksons of Reading: The Main Store

The most important Jacksons store was in Reading, Berkshire. It was a local landmark.

Cool Cash System: Pneumatic Tubes

The Reading store had a special system for handling money. It used pneumatic tubes, which are like tubes that send things using air pressure. This system was made by Lamson Engineering. It was installed in the 1940s.

Here's how it worked:

• A sales assistant would put a customer's cash and a ticket into a small capsule.
• The capsule would zoom through the tubes to the cash office.
• The receipt and change would then be sent back to the customer in another capsule.

This system helped keep money safe. It meant that each small part of the store didn't need its own cash register. When the store closed, someone who had maintained the system for 20 years bought it. Part of the system is now being cared for by Thomas Macey, the store's archivist. He plans to get it working again.

The Famous Jacksons Corner Sign

The building itself was well-known. Its sign, "Jacksons Corner," also became a local landmark. When the store announced it was closing, many people wondered if the sign would be saved.

Why Jacksons Closed Its Doors

In October 2012, staff learned the store would close the next year. Brian Carter said that fixing up the old building was too expensive. Also, the nearby Oracle shopping centre made it harder for Jacksons to compete.

The store closed on December 24, 2013, after 138 years. About 60 people lost their jobs. Many items from the shop were sold at an auction in January 2014. The auction raised £75,000.

The company's old records are now with Thomas Macey. These include cash receipts, catalogs, photos, and ads. Some items date back to 1875, like Edward Jackson's first cash book.

The school uniform department was a big part of Jacksons. It was taken over by Stevensons, another family-owned business. Stevensons now supplies uniforms for 28 schools in the area.

What's There Now

In 2016, plans were approved to turn the upper floors into 33 flats. The first flats opened in 2021. A Thai cafe and restaurant is planned for the ground floor.