Retail recollections: vintage pictures of much-missed Wigan department store Lowe's

For decades Lowe’s was a major feature of the Wigan retail scene.

By Charles Graham

Published 29th Apr 2024, 04:55 BST

It was sometimes jokingly referred to as the town’s version of Grace Brothers, the department store home to the BBC sitcom Are You Being Served but was very popular.

Sitting in Market Place where Barclay’s Bank lives now, it closed in the mid-1980s, much to many people’s sadness.

Here are some vintage pictures of it, including several of its staff.

1. Lowe's department store, Market Place, Wigan

. Photo: STAFF

2. A 1950s picture of Market Place with Lowe's occupying a prominent place

. Photo: submit

3. Staff at Lowe's in 1972

. Photo: gb

4. Fashions have changed in the last half century

. Photo: GB

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