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H Williams was a supermarket chain in Ireland which originated as a grocer/tea importer that became a registered company in March 1894 with a listing on the Dublin Stock Exchange.

In 1959 it opened the first supermarket in Ireland, in Dublin's Henry Street. Though publicly listed on the Dublin Stock Exchange for many years, the Quinn-McArdle family controlled its board and provided most of its senior management. In the early 1980s it was sold to a its managing director, John Quinn, and property developer Finbarr Holland. In 1986 Tesco sold their Irish operation to H Williams for £17 million.

H Williams collapsed in 1987, following a price war that led to the 1987 amendment to the Groceries Order in an effort to protect the market from further concentration. The former H Williams supermarkets were sold to other supermarket chains. H Williams' head office was situated in Dundrum, Dublin.

Other Dublin stores included ones located in Rathmines, Terenure, Tallaght (now a Lidl) and Killester. Outside Dublin, there was a store in Mullingar – the present-day Fairgreen Shopping Centre is located on its former site as well as a store in Tullamore which was purchased by and still operates as a Dunnes Stores.

References

1. The Stock Exchange Official Intelligence. London: Spottoswoode, Ballantyne & Company, Limited. 1912. p. 891.
2. Oram, Hugh (July 24, 2017). "Gone shopping – An Irishman's Diary on Dublin's old grocery shops". Irish Times.
3. "Quinn, John James". Dictionary of Irish Biography. February 2016.
4. Parker, Aj (1 March 1986). "Tesco leaves Ireland". Retail and Distribution Management. 14 (3): 16–20. doi:10.1108/eb018304. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
5. "Restrictive Practices (Groceries) Order 1987 - A Review and Report of Public Consultation Process". enterprise.gov.ie. Government of Ireland. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
6. "Future of Mullingar H. Williams Store". Westmeath Examiner. 1987-11-07. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-08-08 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.

• Supermarkets of the Republic of Ireland
• Supermarkets of Ireland
• Retail companies disestablished in 1987