History
In 1966, Chris Dawson left school with no qualifications, and started business as an open-air market trader in Plymouth.[6] In the early 1980s, he opened two cash and carry stores in Exeter and Newton Abbot, both of which he sold at the end of the decade as he took advantage of a property boom.[7]
In 1989, Dawson opened Chris Dawson Superstores (shortened as C.D.S.) as a standalone variety retailer at the Sugar Mill Retail Park in Plymouth, as he was convinced he could operate a better model than Woolworths or Trago Mills. His venture provided a success, and he began opening more of these superstores.[8]
In the early 1990s, Chris Dawson Superstores was subsequently rebranded to The Range.[9]
Throughout the 2000s, The Range's store openings continued to accelerate, with the chain benefitting from the acquisition of stores and liquidated stock from the administrations of Focus DIY, T. J. Hughes, MFI, Woolworths, and Empire Direct.[10][11]
In 2009, The Range was ranked 121st on The Sunday Times, PricewaterhouseCoopers Top Track, and 250 League Table of the United Kingdom's fastest growing companies.[12]
In October 2012, the retailer opened a new distribution centre in Thorne, Doncaster.[13]
In November 2013, it was announced that The Range planned to open 40 stores in the period of 2013 to 2016.[14]
In September 2014, Compass Group were awarded a £60 million contract to open "Dee Dee's" coffee shop concessions in The Range's locations.[15] Some of these cafés are also known as Café Eighty-Nine.[16]
In August 2016 and October 2016, The Range entered both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland respectively.[17][18] Dawson also indicated he had expansion plans for Mainland Europe.[19]
In June 2017, the retailer opened a new distribution centre in Avonmouth, Bristol.[20]
In September 2017, for its e-commerce operations, the business was recognised as a leading multi-channel retailer in the Internet Retailing UK Top 250[21] and the EU Top 350[22] indices.
In August 2018, The Range announced a concession partnership with supermarket chain Iceland.[23] Later, Iceland and The Range announced Iceland Cafés would open in certain locations.[24]
In March 2019, the retailer announced it would open a new head office, relocating from the Estover area of Plymouth, to a new building in the Derriford area of Plymouth, next door to its flagship store. It was reported to employ over 300 people.[25]
In March 2020, the chain was criticised by customers and staff for continuing to stay open during the first COVID-19 lockdown when the majority of the items it sold were not considered 'essential'. The store argued that it was an essential retailer as it carried toiletries, pet and cleaning products, as well as 50 stores having frozen food concessions. Staff at two stores in Bristol were told that freezers were installed in mid-March of that year in order to ensure that the stores could remain open.[26] The leader of Basildon Council described The Range as 'the worst of British business' for remaining open in the circumstances.[27] Hygiene & safety measures in stores were also criticised. [26]
In November 2024, The Range opened a new distribution centre in Stowmarket, Suffolk, reportedly creating 1,000 jobs.[28]
In November 2025, The Range opened a concession inside a Tesco store in Yardley, being its first store-in-store.[29]
