Pryce Jones a humble draper’s shop apprentice at 12 years old who became the pioneer of mail order ‘shopping by post’ by the time he opened his own drapers shop in Newtown Broad Street in Powys Mid Wales on the 3rd October 1859 aged 25 years of age.
In 1861 he created the first hand drawn mail order catalogue to enable his customers to view his products and services. By 1862 he received an order for a special order of scarlet red nap flannel from Florence Knightingale ‘the lady of the lamp’ who pioneered modern day nursing practices.

After exhibiting his flannels and home spun blankets and shawls and winning prize medals both nationally and international he was introduced to Royal visitors at these textile exhibitions. He received his first order from Queen Victoria’s ladies in waiting from Windsor Castle during 1866. Pryce Jones received her royal warrant in 1880.

Pryce Jones soon became a marketing entrepreneur by renaming his awarding retail business ‘The Royal Welsh Warehouse’. His thriving mail order and retail business enabled him to expand and buy Mr Davies Drapers Shop where he began as an apprentice this shop had three stories and plenty of room for his growing family of eight children.

Pryce Jones vision of ‘Pryce Jones Ltd grand new ‘Royal Welsh Warehouse and Shopping Emporium’ by Newtown Railway Station was meticulously planned to be opened twenty years to the actual day and date of the 3rd October 1859 when he established a legacy that influenced retail practices across the world.

Please check Newtown Powys Library Website for opening times.

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