People are only just realising what B&M actually stands for – and it’s blowing their minds
WE ALL love a bit of B&M but have you ever stopped to think what those two famous letters stand for?
Well one TikTok user has revealed the famous discount store’s real name, and it’s blowing people’s minds.
In his video user ryankenttt revealed the real names of some of the UK’s biggest high street stores including B&M.
And it turns out that the homeware store was initially known as Billington & Mayman.
The name derived from the man behind the business, Malcolm Billington – but was shortened to B&M, short for Bargain Madness.
Viewers were left stunned by the realisation with many admitting they had no idea that was the name of the store, sharing their shock in the comments.
One wrote: “I thought B&M was bargains & more!”
“What wait, this can’t be true!” added another, while a third wrote, “My mind is blown.”
The first B&M store opened that same year in Cleveleys, Lancashire, and Malcolm remained company director until October 1996.
In December 2004, the retailer was bought by Simon and Bobby Arora from Phildrew Investments, at which point B&M’s mini empire had expanded to 21 stores.
In the following two years it continued to go from strength to strength, with the business taking on the GlynWebb chain of DIY stores, and converting them into the popular B&M Homestore format.
It also acquired several former Kwik Save, Woolworths and Au-Naturale (remember that?) stores, and opened its 300th branch in 2012.
By 2015, the number of B&M stores hit 450, and last year it celebrated the opening of its 500th.
Currently there are over 686 high street and out of town stores across the UK, which see an average of three million customer transactions each week.
The Group also owns JA Woll in Germany – an 80-strong store discount chain of variety goods – and its Heron Foods business operates over 250 discount convenience stores in England and Wales.
B&M is also known as B&M Bargains and the larger B&M Homestore.