In 1961 Michael and Ann Rossiter, inspired by
the shops in Bermuda where they had lived for several years
returned to England and took over the lease of a small tobacconist
shop at 40 Broad St Bath. Little more than a corridor this
is now the Greetings Card department in the existing store.
They renovated the interior and filled it with Scandanavian
designed Glass China and Kitchenware. Bath however was not
ready for the new designs and it was not until the introduction
of French cookware sourced and supplied by Elizabeth David
that the shop started to show a profit.
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Bath Store 2010
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Cardiff Store 2010 |
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In 1967 the Rossiters took over 41a Broad St and were now
able to introduce a small range of Scandanavian furniture
and the new designs of fabrics and storage units made by
Conran.
In 1960 the whole of 41 Broad St became vacant and upholstery
and furniture by Gordon Russell was introduced.
It was in 1970 that the Rossiters department store as we
know it today started to emerge. In this year Bath City
Council offered Rossiters the tenancy of 38 and 39 Broad
St and the exciting opportunity to expand. It took 9 months
to rebuild and refurbish the premises but at the end of
this process the range was expanded and the store now traded
over 7000 square feet.
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Peter and Ann-Marie James |
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During the 1980’s an interior design department
was opened stocking a large range of wallpapers and fabrics
and the furniture offer was expanded. Towards the end of the
1980’s the much loved (but unprofitable) coffee shop
was replaced by a department specialising in French cherrywood
and oak furniture.
In 1999 another family department store operation, Wildings,
bought the business from Michael and Ann. For the past decade
husband and wife team, Peter and Ann-Marie James have developed
the business. Changes have been introduced organically so
the special Rossiters experience has not been affected.
July 2007 saw the launch of a new Rossiters Store in Cardiff
where the response has been just a positive as it is in Bath. |
