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The History of Toons

The History of Toons

The History of Toons

Posted on - 5th June 2015

Toons Home Furnishings has a long and illustrious history. Our history stretches way back to November 1969 when Bill and Jean Toon began selling carpets and rugs from the back of their Ford Anglia in Leicester market. Little did they know  back, that they inadvertently started a journey that would change the local area’s home furnishings landscape forever

Since our inception, Toons have gone from strength to strength to become the premier supplier of beds, carpets, curtains, furniture and sofas in Leicestershire. In this blog, we take a look back at how we got here.

Humble Beginnings

Toons was not always the household name it is today. Our strong reputation for quality and excellent service has been built up over the years. In fact, the beginning of what would become Toons Home Furnishings is quite humble. 

After much time and effort, Bill and Jean Toon eventually managed to get their first official market stall in 1970 in the market town of Swadlincote. From here, they expanded into selling rugs and carpets before getting three more stalls in Uttoxeter, Burton and Ashby. Thanks to the quality of the products and good word of mouth, Toon's reputation soon started to grow and this provided the perfect opportunity for expansion. Toons managed to open their first showroom in a school room attached to a chapel in Church Gresley. From here, Toons were able to expand their range of products into furniture as well as carpets. Bill and Jean enjoyed over a decade of success here, but soon had to move on after outgrowing the chapel.

The Rise of Toons

It was in 1981, when Bill's brother John, joined the business that they moved to what was previously a fabric factory in Castle Gresley. At the same time, a satellite store was set up in Uttoxeter to better service surrounding areas such as Staffordshire and Derbyshire, both of which were areas where Toons had seen significant amounts of interest and popularity. 

Toons' inventory soon began expanding at a rapid pace moving into curtains and far more unique and colourful designs of carpets. In 1991, the showroom was deemed too small and surplus to requirements, this led to a huge expansion taking place. The expansion doubled the square footage of the premises and offered significantly more opportunities for the business. A coffee shop serving food was also installed, which expanded in 1994 due to popular demand.

The Journey Continues

Sadly, John passed away in 1999 and his wife and brother retired from the business. However, John's daughter Belinda took over the reins of the business in 2003, keeping the business in the family and steering it towards further success. The final major change was a huge renovation project in 2009 to mark the 40th anniversary which gave the showroom a whole new look. To this day, Toons still have members of staff from the old chapel days and still offer fantastic value furniture and carpets across Leicestershire.

We feel the story of Toons is far from over and we will continue to build on our past successes with more great products at superb prices and fantastic value.

Contact Toons Today

Now you know the brilliant history of Toons from the humble beginnings at a Leicestershire market to our deluxe superstore, why don’t you pop in to pay us a visit? Toons supply an expansive range of furniture, carpets, sofas and much more. So what are you waiting for? Why not contact us today?