History

B.A. Yalden in 1960

In 1936 the shop in Three Households, Chalfont St Giles was built specifically as an Ironmongers and a house, almost exactly as it is today.

1953 Robert Edward Yalden purchased the site and started trading as R.E.Yalden.

1959 Robert Yalden retired and Bernard Yalden and his wife Doris took over the running of the shop. Bernard built the business selling everyday items for the local community, and it soon became very popular and a well known feature in Chalfont St Giles.

Bernard’s ethic was to meet and greet every customer as they entered the store and to always have the products available to serve quickly. This is the basis on what the shop has become today.

Robert Yalden - Bernard’s son, worked with his father in the shop from 1959 to 1966 before embarking on his travels which is where he met his wife Margaret.

1978 Robert returned to Chalfont St Giles to carry on the business with his father until Bernard retired at the beginning of 1979. Robert used the same ethic as his father and continued to expand the product ranges. Over the following years the shop expanded to what it is today.

1997 Robert’s youngest son Matthew Yalden joined the family business and continues the Yalden tradition of developing the shop which brings us to present day.

R.S. Yalden in 2004

Present

Now in 2007, Robert and Margaret Yalden still own the shop, under the management of their son Matthew Yalden, the fourth generation to run the shop.

Today it is a thriving business with an emphasis on traditional good service, accompanied with a modern outlook to the future.

Recently added to the shop is a full epos system to provide an improved service with excellent stock availability, trade accounts, special orders, home delivery, a newsletter, ecommerce and mail order.

A customer loyalty scheme is one of our latest additions, giving cash back rewards to our loyal customers. This has proved very popular with nearly 3000 customers added in the first year.

Yaldens Online went live November 2007. It is in its early stages yet proving to be very popular as it follows the tradition of offering our customers a great service.

R.S. Yalden in 2007

Future - Where to go from here?

Here at Yalden's we are taking an ever changing approach to the business. Whatever worked last year might not work this year.

We want our customers to have the best possible service whether you are buying in store or online.

We have many plans for the future and we believe that to have a vibrant community spirit and healthy family environment it is important to have local shops. We always look to work with other local businesses so that Chalfont St Giles and its local area can be the exception to the rule and prove that local communities can still work.

We have made active changes to the way we purchase goods by choosing locally owned companies to supply us, whilst reducing the amount of imported goods where possible. By doing this we believe that we can make a difference to our environment and increase the quality of life for the local area.

Reasons to Shop Locally: