Penny Bazaar

That great British behemoth and blue chip company, Marks and Spencer, came from humble beginnings in Kirkgate Market in Leeds. In the early 1880s Michael Marks arrived in Britain from Poland. He came to Leeds, attracted by its large Jewish community, and originally traded as a pedlar. In 1886 he took an outdoor stall in Kirkgate Market and began selling his goods from a 6'x4' trestle table. His sales strategy was simple - everything cost one penny, mainly because of his still limited command of English. His slogan 'Don't ask the price, it's a penny' is reminiscent of Poundland's 'Everything's a £1' of today. After two years of trading outdoors, his Penny Bazaar moved indoors in 1886 and from there, with the accountancy skills of Tom Spencer, the company gradually grew into the M&S we know today. Earlier this year as part of the first M&S Heritage Trail, the company opened its 'Penny Bazaar' Heritage Stall in Kirkgate Market were the whole story began. There you can begin to trace their history across Leeds via Dewhirst Building, Cross Arcade, Briggate, and Victoria Gardens and finally to the Marks in Time Exhibition at the M&S Company Archive at the University of Leeds. At the Penny Bazaar you can pick up a trail leaflet. You can also buy a drink, cookies, sweets, tins of biscuits, jars of jam, packets of tea, flowers and lots of other goodies, including heritage goods and momentoes. But today, these will cost you a little more than a penny!