Founded by John James Fenwick in 1882, Fenwick is an English independent chain of department stores divided into nine branches. Since its launch, the first Fenwick store in Newcastle Upon Tyne has expanded and it now consists of several buildings and is known for its extravagant Christmas windows displays. It also owns Bentalls, which was Founded in 1867, with a main branch in Kingston upon Thames.
For the first time the management of Fenwick has been placed outside the hands of the Fenwick family with Robbie Feather becoming CEO in January 2018 and Richard Pennycook having joined as chairman in 2017. In 2018 the business carried out a restructuring leading to the loss of 400 jobs, though 120 new roles were created in large part to help prepare the brand for the roll-out of e-commerce in 2019.
In April 2020 the family behind the business announced it was slimming down the board, leading to the departure of Pennycook and Feather. Its CEO is now John Edgar, a former finance chief of Selfridges and Harrods.
