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Fenwick is an independent chain of department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1882 by John James Fenwick in Newcastle upon Tyne, and today consists of 10 branches. As of 2012, the chain is still owned by the Fenwick family and the company is chaired by Mark Fenwick. The company is reported to be valued at £452million.HistoryThe store's founder, John James Fenwick, was born in Richmond, North Yorkshire in 1846. The original store opened in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1882 and sold only mantles, silk goods, dresses, fabrics and trimmings and did not broaden into a department store until John's eldest son Fred Fenwick joined the business in 1890. Fred had trained in retail in Paris and is said to have been inspired by Le Bon Marché, which is regarded as one of the first ever department stores.Fenwick has since expanded its operations. In 1888 it opened a store in Sunderland, but it closed within the year. In 1891 it opened a branch in Bond Street, London. This store was later doubled in size in 1980.The company bought the Joseph Johnson store in Leicester in 1962. This store was subsequently rebranded as Fenwick. Fenwick was the anchor department store for the 1976 opening of Brent Cross Shopping Centre in London, which was the first large enclosed shopping centre in the UK.