Focus on Heywood: Beddoes of Heywood

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Photo: Laura Wild

Ian Beddoes

Beddoes of Heywood, situated on Market Street, is a friendly, family business, which has been in the Beddoes family for many years.

The business started in Failsworth and moved around before settling at 48 Market Street, where the business remains today.

The company which specialises in numerous things such as house furniture, electrical goods and photo printing is now run by Ian Beddoes, who carried on in his father’s footsteps when he retired 20 years ago.

Mr Beddoes, 51, has been involved with the shop since he was eight years old, and he remembers wearing the Beddoes uniform, he was always involved with the business and in his sixth form years he would make deliveries at lunch time, it seemed a natural progression that he would one day run the shop.

In the 1950s Beddoes ran ‘pot clubs’ where people would save up so much money a week and then buy the items they required, soon people had all the pots and pans they could want so the firm branched out into offering other house hold goods including carpets and lino. Following that they branched out into selling televisions.

Beddoes latest development is photo finishing, in the store they have photo processing labs and they specialise in the printing of posters, business cards and invites.

Mr Beddoes explained the reason for the photographic expansion, he said: “We needed to do something different and to get the youth in, and we just thought well everybody has a camera so we set up the photo processing and it is by far the most popular thing.”

The business has grown and adapted and offers a variety of household appliances, furniture and more.

Three members of staff work at the shop with Mr Beddoes and although the staff are not relatives Mr Beddoes said they are like members of the family.

Alan, now 65, started working at Beddoes when he was just 14 years old.

“We all get on really well, there is a lot of trust too,” said Mr Beddoes

Mr Beddoes is keen to put something back into Heywood as he has ran his business there for so long, such events include the 1940s day in September and the Christmas lights switch on in conjunction with Heywood Business Group, which Mr Beddoes is chairman of.

The relationship Beddoes has with its customers is very important to Mr Beddoes, during the interview, a lady popped in and Mr Beddoes explained she has been a regular customer for the past ten years.

“We have fantastic relationships with our customers, people even come into visit the dog,” said Mr Beddoes, “I have made lots of friends – it’s brilliant.”

It is safe to say customers’ visiting Beddoes will always be greeted by a friendly face.

Mr Beddoes said his favourite part of running the shop is meeting new people.

He concluded: “It was obvious from a young age that I would one day be in charge of Beddoes but I don’t regret it.”