International Tea Co. Stores
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedA historic British grocery chain that began as a direct-to-consumer tea retailer and later became International Stores.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
International Tea Co. Stores was a British grocery and tea-retailing chain founded in London in 1878 by Hudson Kearley, later Viscount Devonport, and Gilbert Augustus Tonge. Its original commercial purpose was to sell tea directly to consumers instead of relying on wholesalers. That direct-retailing model reflected the development of branded and packaged grocery retail in Victorian Britain, when tea was becoming an increasingly important household product and specialist stores could compete through sourcing, blending, presentation, and distribution. The company expanded beyond its original tea focus and became a broad grocery retailer. Its stores were particularly associated with southern England, where many towns acquired an International Tea Co. branch. The business operated within a competitive field that also included Home and Colonial and Star stores. Its visibility in everyday British commercial life was reflected in John Betjeman's poem “Myfanwy,” which names International alongside other familiar grocery chains. Tea blending was a significant part of the group's activities. Ridgways served as International's principal blending business and became part of the wider group after the acquisition of Star Supply Stores in 1929. This combination linked retail distribution with tea preparation and branding, giving the chain a more integrated position in the grocery market. International Tea Co. Stores was also one of the original constituents of the FT 30, the index of leading companies listed on the London Stock Exchange when it was established in 1935. Its removal from the index in 1947 reflected changes in the composition and structure of the market rather than the end of the retail business. The company was subsequently rebranded as International Stores, marking a shift away from a name centered specifically on tea toward a broader grocery identity. The later history of the chain was shaped by acquisitions and corporate ownership. BAT Industries acquired International Stores in 1972. The company then bought the Price Rite chain in 1973 and Wallis Supermarkets in 1977, adding stores and extending the International retail footprint. In 1979, it acquired the Mac Food Centres business following Unilever's closure of Mac Fisheries. The enlarged estate supported the development of a superstore format, which was introduced under the Mainstop name in 1980. BAT Industries subsequently pursued a policy of disposing of businesses that did not meet its progress expectations. Former Price Rite stores in southern England were sold to Fine Fare in 1980, while the remaining 67 Price Rite branches were sold to Argyll Foods in 1982. International Stores itself was sold to the Dee Corporation in 1984. The Dee Corporation renamed itself Gateway Corporation in 1988, and the retail operation later became Somerfield Stores in 1994. The original International Tea Co. Stores identity therefore disappeared through rebranding, disposals, and corporate succession rather than through a single documented closure event.
History
International Tea Co. Stores originated in London in 1878, when Hudson Kearley and Gilbert Augustus Tonge founded the International Tea Co. Their stated commercial objective was to sell tea directly to consumers rather than through wholesalers. The company belonged to a generation of specialist grocery retailers that used branded products, retail premises, and supply-chain control to make packaged food and drink available to a growing urban and suburban customer base. Although tea remained central to its identity, International developed into a broader grocer. Its stores spread through many towns in southern England and became part of the visible retail landscape alongside Home and Colonial and Star. The chain's presence was sufficiently familiar to be referenced by John Betjeman in “Myfanwy,” where International appears among the grocery names associated with ordinary British life. The group's tea activity was strengthened in 1929 through the acquisition of Star Supply Stores. The transaction brought Ridgways into the group; Ridgways was identified as International's principal tea blender. This gave International a connection between retail outlets and tea blending, supporting its original specialist proposition while the business continued to broaden its grocery range. International Tea Co. Stores was included among the original constituents of the FT 30, the index of leading London Stock Exchange companies created in 1935. It left the index in 1947 as the market and the index's representation changed. The retail company subsequently adopted the name International Stores. The change reflected the fact that the business was no longer adequately described as a tea-only or tea-led chain. A major corporate transition occurred in 1972, when BAT Industries acquired International Stores. Under BAT ownership, the chain expanded by acquisition. Price Rite was purchased in 1973, and Wallis Supermarkets followed in 1977, adding about 100 stores. In 1979, International acquired the large Mac Food Centres footprint after Unilever closed Mac Fisheries. These transactions increased the scale and geographic reach of the operation and created the basis for a new superstore concept. In 1980, the company introduced the Mainstop name for its developing superstore division. The move represented an attempt to organize the enlarged store estate around a larger-format grocery proposition. BAT Industries nevertheless adopted a selective disposal policy for businesses that it believed were not progressing sufficiently. Former Price Rite stores in southern England were sold to Fine Fare in 1980, and the remaining 67 branches were sold to Argyll Foods in 1982. International Stores was sold by BAT to the Dee Corporation in 1984. The purchaser changed its name to Gateway Corporation in 1988, and the retail business became Somerfield Stores in 1994. The original International Tea Co. Stores brand therefore ended through a sequence of renaming, acquisitions, and store disposals. Its legacy is that of an early direct-to-consumer tea retailer that evolved into a substantial British grocery chain and later formed part of the corporate history leading to Gateway and Somerfield.
- 1994
Successor business becomes Somerfield Stores
[1]The Gateway successor retail operation adopted the Somerfield Stores name.
- 1984
Sold to the Dee Corporation
[1]BAT Industries sold International Stores to the Dee Corporation.
- 1980
Mainstop superstore division launched
[1]The company used the Mainstop name to develop a new superstore division.
- 1979
Mac Food Centres acquired
[1]International acquired the Mac Food Centres footprint following Unilever's closure of Mac Fisheries.
- 1977
Wallis Supermarkets acquired
[1]The purchase added approximately 100 stores.
- 1973
Price Rite acquired
[1]The Price Rite chain was added to International's store network.
- 1972
Acquired by BAT Industries
[1]BAT Industries took control of International Stores.
- 1947
Removed from FT 30
[1]The company left the FT 30 index as the index's composition changed.
- 1935
Original FT 30 constituent
[1]International Tea Co. Stores was included in the original FT 30 index of leading listed British companies.
- 1929
Star Supply Stores acquired
[1]The acquisition brought the Ridgways tea-blending business into the group.
Products and positioning
A mass-market British grocery retailer that originated in specialist tea retailing and later broadened into general food stores and superstores.
Beverage · 1878
Tea
Tea was the original and defining product category of the business. The company was established to sell tea directly to consumers, and its retail model was built around making tea available through branded stores rather than wholesale channels. The group's connection with Ridgways after the 1929 acquisition of Star Supply Stores also gave it an internal tea-blending capability.
Food retail
Groceries
International expanded from specialist tea retail into general grocery selling. Its stores served as local food shops across southern England and carried a wider range of food products than the founding name alone suggests. The grocery format became the core of the later International Stores identity.
Superstore format · 1980
Mainstop
Mainstop was a new brand used for International's superstore division from 1980. It was developed after the company expanded through acquisitions including Wallis Supermarkets and Mac Food Centres, and represented a larger-format approach to grocery retailing.
Brand decisions
1984
Sale to the Dee CorporationM&ABackground
BAT Industries decided to sell businesses that it considered insufficiently progressive.
Action taken
International Stores was sold to the Dee Corporation.
Aftermath
The owner became Gateway Corporation in 1988, and the successor retail operation became Somerfield Stores in 1994.
1980
Development of the Mainstop superstore divisionStrategyBackground
Acquisitions had enlarged the store estate and created an opportunity to develop larger grocery formats.
Action taken
International created the Mainstop name for a new superstore division.
Aftermath
BAT Industries subsequently began breaking up parts of the business, including the disposal of Price Rite stores.
1947
Removal from the FT 30 indexOtherBackground
International Tea Co. Stores had been an original constituent of the FT 30 when the index was created in 1935.
Action taken
The company was removed from the index as market developments altered its composition.
Aftermath
The business continued operating and later evolved into International Stores.
- Rebranding from International Tea Co. Stores to International StoresStrategy
Background
The business had expanded beyond its original tea-retailing focus into general grocery retail.
Action taken
The company adopted the International Stores name.
Aftermath
The shorter name better represented a broad grocery chain, while the business later underwent further ownership and brand changes.
Sources1 sources
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