There are many high street shops and fast food outlets throughout the UK whose names are actually abbreviations – but what are the hidden meanings behind all of them?
It turn’s out quite a lot is in a name, especially when it’s an acronym. Many of the high street’s biggest brands, as well as shops, restaurants and other firms, choose to adopt acronyms because they sound good and gets rid of any unease about saying a long-winded name fully.
H&M, KFC and B&M are some of the most memorable – but what do they actually mean? Most people – especially those over 30 – will know that KFC stands for Kentucky Fried Chicken, as it was only changed to its acronym in 1991.
But do you know what the letters in ASOS, H&M, B&M and more actually stand for? Let’s unravel the mystery….
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ASDA
The company was established in 1965 when the Asquith family, who owned a supermarket, merged with the Associated Dairies company of Yorkshire. ASquith plus DAiries led to the creation of ASDA on May 3, 1965.
It expanded across England during the 1970s and 1980s. Just remember to call it The Asda, alright?
ASOS
This global fashion brand and online megastore began in 1999 as a supplier of unbranded clothes to celebrities appearing on TV. The concept was that people could find clothes and accessories they had seen celebs wearing. Before long, people started referring to AsSeenOnScreen as ASOS and in late 2000 the domain name www.asos.com was purchased.
B&M
Bargains and More would really suffice but it actually stands for Billington and Mayman as it was set up by Malcolm Billington but shortened to B&M for Bargain Madness. Established in 1978 – Billington remained the company director until 1996.
B&Q
Block and Quayle may sound like a deep house duo who would have performed a six-hour set at Cream back in the day. However, Richard Block and David Quayle are actually the founders of B&Q.
Their joint business venture began after they purchased and refurbished a former furniture warehouse in a Southampton suburb. The pair soon shortened the brand to B&Q as stock delivery notes and invoices were already unofficially abbreviating the name.
C&A
This retailer still has many stores in Europe despite there being none left in the UK after the last one closed its doors in 2001. The company was founded by brothers Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer in 1841 as a Dutch textile company before transitioning into clothing in the 1900s.
H&M
H&M is Swedish and was founded all the way back in 1947, although back then it was just known as Hennes. Originally the store sold exclusively women’s clothing, but when hunting apparel retailer Mauritz Widforss was acquired, men’s wear was also included and ‘H&M’ combined the initials. The first UK store opened in London in 1976 – this was also the first store to be built outside of Scandinavia.
HSBC
Houses, Shoes, Boats and Cars are just some of the things you can buy if you take out a giant loan at HSBC but sadly that’s not what it stands for. HSBC was actually founded by a Scotsman named Sir Thomas Sutherland in Hong Kong in 1865.
Back then, Hong Kong was still a British colony. HSBC benefited from the start of trading into China. The banking behemoth HSBC took its initial steps across the Channel only at the turn of the millennium, scooping up Credit Commercial de France and bringing a piece of ‘Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank’, which the acronym stands for, to continental Europe.
IKEA
Swedish furniture giant IKEA had humble beginnings in 1943 when teen entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad established it in Almhult as a mail-order business. Following World War II, IKEA expanded its offering to include furniture and launched its first physical shop back in 1958 in Almhurt.
The brand’s Swedish roots are evident in its name, with ‘Elmtaryd’ harking back to the farm Kamprad was raised on, while the ‘A’ signifies his Agunnaryd hometown. By the 70s, IKEA had already begun its conquest of Europe, and by the 80s, it had firmly rooted itself in the UK market.
LEGO
This household name traces back to Denmark, with its name derived from the local phrase ‘leg godt’, meaning ‘play well’. Ole Kirk Christiansen’s passion project in his woodshop during 1932 evolved into The Lego Group by 1934, shifting from wooden toys to plastic ones in 1947.
It wasn’t much later that the signature Lego brick won its patent in January 1958, paving the way for Brand Finance to crown Lego as the “world’s most powerful brand”.
QVC
This moniker mirrors the simplicity of its televised retail service – promising Quality, Value, Convenience. Yet, in today’s fast-paced digital landscape, one could debate whether browsing the internet trumps sitting through television broadcasts for that perfect bargain.
QVC, based in Knowsley Industrial Park, was established by Joseph Segel in Pennsylvania in 1986 and now broadcasts to over 350 million households in seven countries worldwide.
