Jack and Hyman Beare started their furniture manufacturing business in Johannesburg, but decided to
relocate to Durban in 1918, writes Mark Levin. In the final year of World War I, the brothers opened a shop with a street frontage of just 6 metres.
Machinery was virtually unobtainable at the time, but combining their skills as cabinet-maker and engineer, they constructed machinery from scrap metal. As the post-war economy improved, they imported the best available machinery from England and were able to produce good quality furniture at a reasonable cost.
In 1926, they moved into their own three-storey factory at 558-560 West Street (Pixley kaSeme).
The first photo shows this building in 1936. Their showroom was on the ground floor.
The company prided itself on its modern equipment and careful selection of timber in its raw state. By the early 1930s, the firm was receiving large government contracts.
In 1933, Jack’s son, Aaron, began working with the firm. He opened the first retail store, selling furniture directly to the public. So successful was this move that the company discontinued its manufacturing operation. By this time there were three directors: Hyman, Maurice and Aaron Beare. Their “Three little Beares” logo became a much-loved brand.
The second photo, from the 1970s, shows that logo on their flagship store, which was also in West Street.
The Beares Group went public in 1968, and in 1969, it was listed among the top 100 companies in South Africa.
In 1974 it employed 3000 people and had 125 furniture and clothing shops around the country. Aaron Beare rose to become chairman of the Beares group.
The recent photo shows their 1926 building as it is today. Although the Beares stores are long gone, their famous logo can still be seen on top of the building.