In 1904 M&S rented eight shop units on a short lease in the newly opened Cross Arcade, this became the first M&S Penny Bazaar store in Leeds. Each of the units contained a different department; hardware, china ornaments, tinware, toys, fancy goods, stationery, crockery and haberdashery.
The first day that the Cross Arcade store opened, takings totalled £75 by lunchtime, but Michael Marks declared that they would not close until they'd taken £100. They managed this by 4pm and had taken £175 by closing at 8pm.
This photograph shows the staff of the Leeds Cross Arcade M&S Penny Bazaar in about 1906. The manager was Mr Ratner (centre back). Fifth from right on the front row is Mrs Gertie Swidenbank (nee Nicholson) who worked in the tinware section. Gertie is about 16 in this picture.
Gertie remembered tea being provided at lunchtime; the sales assistants took turns going up to the staff room 15 minutes early to boil the kettle and prepare the tea. They would bring their own food for lunch and had two cookers to warm it up. The Penny Bazaaropened Monday-Friday until 8pm, and until 10pm on Saturdays. Full-time pay was 7s 6d a week, a good wage at the time. The Cross Arcade Penny Bazaar closed in 1910.
