| Norton Group Holdings Limited | |
| Industry: | Home improvement retailers |
| Location City: | Plymouth |
| Location Country: | United Kingdom |
| Key People: | Chris Dawson |
| Brands: | The Range Wilko Homebase |
Norton Group Holdings Limited is the British holding company of home improvement retailer CDS (Superstores International) Limited, which includes The Range, Wilko and Homebase, as well as a concession partnership with the Iceland supermarket chain.[1] It is owned by chairman and CEO Chris Dawson's wife Sarah Dawson.[2]
In 1980, Chris Dawson began as an open-air market trader in Plymouth, later opening a retail store on Sugar Mill Business Park in 1989. Initially trading as Chris Dawson Superstores (CDS), the name would later change to The Range in the early 1990s.[3] The Range would then later grow into a major retailer across the United Kingdom, with Norton Group Holdings becoming the ultimate owning company.[4]
In September 2023, the company acquired the brand and digital assets of discount retailer Wilko for £5,000,000 after Wilko's parent company collapsed into administration a month earlier.[5] In October 2023, Norton Group Holdings said that the company would open 5 new stand-alone Wilko stores “before Christmas". This came just under 3 weeks after the collapsed retailer ceased operations.[6] This would include a store in both Plymouth and Exeter, two in the southeast, and one in the north.[7] By 29 March 2024, Wilko stores had opened in Plymouth, Exeter, Luton, St Albans, and Rotherham, with an additional store planned to open in Poole in August 2024.[8] [9]
In July 2024, it was reported that Norton Group Holdings was exploring a takeover deal of DIY chain Homebase from Hilco Capital.[10] In November 2024, Norton Group Holdings rescued Homebase from administration, safeguarding 1,500 jobs with up to 75 stores saved.[11]