1970 - 1979
Charles Kalms stood down as Chairman in 1971, and was succeeded by his son Stanley. Charles became Life President of the Group.
In 1972, the 15 Wallace Heaton shops in the London area were acquired. The gradual reduction in the working week meant more leisure time for everyone. A number of Dixons stores included sports departments and photography as a hobby boomed, increasing sales of cameras year on year throughout the decade.
The main Stevenage Distribution Centre opened in 1974, on a seven acre site with 163,000 sq ft of floor space, computerised control and conveyor belt stock handling. At the time it was the largest computerised warehouse in Europe.
Charles Kalms died at the age of 80 in 1978.
