Here at Julian Charles we are very proud to announce our 75th Anniversary. To celebrate this we are taking a look back at our history and how we got to where we are today by evolving with the trends and styles of each generation.
1947
In 1947 Julian Greibach set up in business operating as a textile converter, selling fabric by the metre or by the roll. His business was based in Faulkner Street in the centre of Manchester which was an area wholly devoted to textiles at the time.
1959
Julian decided to invest in a small curtain making operation manufacturing readymade curtains. The business grew with the post war demand and the business was named Rectella Readymades Limited.
1990’s
Following the success of the readymade curtains the company changed it’s name to Rectella Ltd and expanded into 3 locations to produce lots more products. These sites were situated in Chorley, Tyldesley and Preston.
1996
Julian had an ambition to relocate the company onto one single site. He bought a plot of land in Blackburn and proceeded with plans to build a 3 story head office with manufacturing, warehouse and administrative roles all in one place.
1997
Julian was dedicated to his work and was passionate about the business he had created. Sadly he passed away aged 86. He did not live to see the final move to Blackburn in 1998.
1998
Julian’s sons Charles and Francis took over the company and completed the move to Blackburn in 1998. The company was selling curtains and bedding to concession stores across the UK and also had small shops within their offices called ‘Curtain Choice’.
2005
After success within concessions and their own small factory shops Rectella decided to open their very own stores. Some of the first were their shops in Hornsea and the Lowry which we are still trading in today.
2008
In 2008 the Blackburn site was sold and the company relocated to Trafford Park where the business still operates from today. To keep the business profitable they had to adapt to the everchanging surroundings and decided to outsource the warehouse and begin manufacturing from the far east.
2014
In 2014 Rectella relaunched as Julian Charles. Julian after the original founder of the company and Charles after his son who was Head Of Design. Even though manufacturing was still being done in the far east the company still continued to pride themselves in their designs which were done in the UK with British heritage in mind.
2014
Recognising the importance of being a direct retailer, at the end of 2014 came the launch of a brand new transactional website under the new name of Julian Charles.
2021
With the store portfolio still growing, the company hopes to invest in further sites across the UK. Julian Charles has over 40 of their own stores and also stocks the Julian Charles brand within a range of big department stores such as Boundary Mills, Leekes and Shaws.
2022
We continue to grow our online business and love creating new bedding and curtains that our customers love. We want to give our customers the best deals and promotions and continue to become a well loved homewares retailer.
2022
To celebrate our 75th anniversary here at Julian Charles we are launching a range of promotions within this year. Look out on our social channels for more information and make sure you sign up for our emails to be the first to know about all our exciting celebrations.
Read more about our limited edition 75th anniversary bedding design here.
