Heal’s has operated since its foundation in the Tottenham Court Road, and from the present site since 1840. Its first purpose-built store, completed in 1854, was then one of the largest in London.
The central part of the present building was commissioned by Ambrose Heal and designed by his cousin, and best friend, Cecil Brewer of the architectural practice Smith and Brewer. It was completed in 1917 and is a distinctive modern building, immediately hailed as a landmark in shop architecture, subsequently extended in a number of phases. An extension on the southern side of the building was added in 1938, designed by Sir Edward Maufe.
A second store was opened in Guildford in 1972 and the Company remained highly profitable until the mid 1970s, when it began to suffer losses, principally in the non-retail businesses.
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