Timpson is a British retailer specialising in shoe repairs, key cutting, locksmith services and engraving, as well as dry cleaning and photo processing. The company also offers mobile phone repairs, jewellery and watch repair, and custom-made house signs. It is based in Wythenshawe, Manchester, and currently has over 2,155 outlets in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

In January 2014, Timpson purchased the photographic services franchise, Snappy Snaps, increasing its store count by 118. In January 2017, Timpson purchased the dry cleaning business Johnsons Cleaners UK for £8.25m, and together with their purchase of Morrison’s dry cleaning business, they are now the largest dry cleaning operator in the UK. Over half of Timpson shops are located in out of town locations, including in 550 pods.

Timpson was founded in 1865 by shoemaker William Timpson and his brother-in-law Walter Joyce, selling shoes at 298 Oldham Road, Manchester. It expanded into shoe manufacturing in 1884 at factories in Kettering, and repairs in 1903. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1929. In the 1950s, turnover was around £10,000,000 and profits £900,000. The company moved its headquarters to Wythenshawe in 1964.

In the early-1960s, a family member and graduate of the University of Nottingham John Timpson returned from a post-graduate management training scheme to join the family-owned business, becoming director responsible for buying in 1970. In 1973, after John’s father Anthony was ousted as chairman by his uncle Geoffrey, the company was acquired for £28,600,000 by United Drapery Stores. John stayed with the firm, became managing director of leather and fur retailers Swears & Wells, then in 1975; appointed managing director of the former family business, William Timpson Ltd.

In 1983, John led a £42,000,000 management buyout of William Timpson from then-owners Hanson Trust plc. To raise funds, £30,000,000 came from selling the freeholds of the firm’s stores and leasing them back, the rest via debt financing from venture capitalists. After four years of poor trading, to reduce debt on the balance sheet, the company sold the loss-making shoe retail business for £15,000,000 to rival George Oliver and focused on building the shoe repairing and key cutting business.

After diversifying into engraving, watch repairs, dry cleaning and photo processing, John Timpson bought the other shareholders out in 1993. The company then went on the acquisition trail, buying: 40 Persil Service concessions located in Sainsbury’s stores in June 2008; 187 digital photo shops branded Klick and Max Spielmann in December 2008; 139 digital photo shops from Tesco, plus its instant kiosk business and online business, in February 2014; 200 Johnson Cleaners stores, including the Jeeves of Belgravia and Jeeves International, purchased from Johnson Service Group in January 2017.

John Timpson wrote the book Dear James, in which he passes on to his son the lessons learned in thirty years as a chief executive. His second book How to Ride a Giraffe describes his business philosophy. Timpson was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2008 for services to the retail industry