Kay's - the famous catalogue company traces its roots back to Worcester. William Kay, the founder, was born in 1856, in Portsmouth. He moved to Worcester as a young man and became employed by a John Skarratt, who'd taken over the running of his grandfather's business. William was married in 1883 to Jessie Farenden, a school governess. Shortly after his second son was born, Kay went into partnership with a local man named Jones, and they started a jewellery/watch business, called 'Kay'. The partnership eventually dissolved, but Kay kept the business and changed it to 'Kay's of Worcester', employing two clerks and one errand boy.

It was initially a strict 'cash upon order' business from customers subscribing to Kay's catalogue. The watch and jewellery business went well and the business expanded to new premises near the railway line, to make goods delivery as quick and easy as possible. In 1895, 'Kay's Universal Stores' of Worcester came into existence - a name still familiar today!

Eventually the company started to diversify, selling 'Manchester goods' and tailoring for ladies - and by 1906 it needed to move premises again, to a purpose built site with offices and a warehouse. The company brought some land by St Oswald's Hospital in Tything for this and developed the site - which was then home to Kays for the next 94 years. It was by all accounts a cutting edge development for the time - with an advanced central heating system, lifts, internal phone networks and proper staff toilets... All for the sum of around £16,000!

When the First World War took place, the business suffered, as its male employees left in droves to become soliders. Business looked bleak, as supply routes seemed to be under threat. However, Kays reacted by employing a largely female workforce, into a wide number of roles, and continued to be successful.

In the challenging post-war years, Kay's managed to expand as a business and increased its sales lines. When William Kay died in 1929, his two sons took over the business - although eventually they sold the majority of Kay's shareholding to the Wolfson's of Great Universal Stores Ltd of Mancester.

During World War two, the catalogues were still issued, despite enforced paper rationing and easy payment terms for customers were put into place. In the 1950's, Kay's relocated and expanded to the South to cope with growth. Growth in the 1960's was rapid, particularly as computer systems were introduced, and during the strikes of the 1970's, the group created their own transport fleet - White Arrow Express. In the 1980's, GUS Home Shopping was formed, through alliances with sister company BMOC.

In 1994, Kay's celebrated 200 years in business with a series of celebrations, by now a highly successful and well-known catalogue company. In 2003, the mail-order operations were sold to March UK Ltd, and Kay's and Littlewoods were merged into one organisation, Shop Direct.

In 2007, Kays catalogue ended its long history with Worcester and the new Shop Direct brand re-grouped in the Liverpool area, the home of Littlewood's catalogue business, where it is going strong and continues to be a successful brand and key employer in the South Liverpool area.