Mays have just completed their 100th year in business and, with the new millennium are breaking all sales records....

Two separate businesses evolved from a store started in 1906 by E.May and trading in China, Glass and Hardware goods. Throughout the 1920's Mays became a highly successful hardware store servicing the hardware needs of East Oxford. Later in this same decade, an Abingdon branch was opened and run by Bob May. During the 1940's and 1950's Bob steered the business towards army surplus and the stores continued to thrive, selling everything and anything from tools to hardware.

Carpet Pioneers

Mays became Mays Carpets in 1961 when Bob's son, John pioneered a new way of selling carpet - Cash and carry!

At this time there were no stockists of carpet. Everything was ordered by retailers as cut lengths. The idea of arriving at a warehouse, choosing from 1000's of rolls of carpet and taking it away the same day was so revolutionary, it took the country by storm. People were so amazed by the savings that they travelled miles to visit the store.

A new World of Carpets

"We had so many people coming from Swindon, we decided to open a store at Marshgate, in North Swindon" Said John May. Then things really started to take off! When Mays built 'Fairacres' the general consensus was that they were mad. There they were sitting on the side of the A34 with nothing around but fields, just waiting to see if people would come.