5 successful businesses that began as market stalls

1. Marks and Spencer

This British institution was co-founded by Belarusian Michael Marks, who arrived in the UK as in 1882 and began trading on a penny bazaar stall at Kirkgate Market in Leeds.

One of Marks’ fellow traders, Isaac Dewhirst, had lent him £5 to get the stall off the ground and taught him some English.

When Marks approached Dewhirst with a plan to go into business together, Dewhirst declined but recommended his former cashier – Thomas Spencer.

The two grew their business all across the country and it was eventually handed over to Marks’s son Simon, who is credited with turning it into a retail giant.

M&S now has more than 1,000 shops all over the world and a revenue of almost $10bn.

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