About: Barkers of Kensington

Barkers of Kensington was a department store in Kensington High Street, Kensington, London. It began as a small drapery business, John Barker & Company, founded by John Barker and James Whitehead in 1870.Barkers grew rapidly to become one of London's largest and most well-known department stores.The company played a significant role in establishing Kensington High Street as one of London's principal shopping destinations for most of the twentieth century. The business was purchased by House of Fraser in 1957. Barkers closed permanently in 2006.Part of the former flagship building now contains a branch of Whole Foods Market (2019).