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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