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 Entrance to theCroydon superstore | |||||||||||
| Company type | Private company | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Wholesale, export and real estate | ||||||||||
| Founded | Birmingham, England (1970) | ||||||||||
| Headquarters | Birmingham, England | ||||||||||
Key people | Woon Wing Yip (Chairman) | ||||||||||
| Products | Chinese groceries | ||||||||||
| Revenue |  £104.4 million (2014) | ||||||||||
| £6.8 million | |||||||||||
Number of employees | 300+[1] | ||||||||||
| Subsidiaries | W Wing Yip & Brothers Trading Group Ltd. W Wing Yip & Brothers Property and Investments Ltd. | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 榮業行 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 荣业行 | ||||||||||
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| Website | wingyip | ||||||||||
Wing Yip is aChinese supermarket chain founded byWoon Wing Yip inEngland in 1970.[2] The originalBirmingham store also serves as its headquarters and national distribution centre. The company hassuperstore branches inManchester,Croydon andCricklewood.[3]
In addition, the company has expanded into wholesale and export (international trade) and real estate development and management by situating its stores within larger commercial centres.[4] Itstofu-basedmeat substitutes have been popular due tovegan diets since the 2010s.[5][2]
The founder,Woon Wing Yip, was aHakka born inDongguan County,Guangdong,China, in 1937. He arrived in the United Kingdom fromHong Kong in 1959 by boat with£2. He later opened a restaurant in a former tea shop inClacton-on-Sea, followed by three restaurants and two takeaways in theEast Anglia region. In 1968, he was joined by his brother, Sammy Yap. In 1970, Wing Yip and Sammy opened a specialist Chinese grocery inDigbeth,Birmingham.
In 1977, Lee Sing Yap joined Wing Yip and Sammy. Together, they open aManchester store on Faulkner Street, and a second Manchester store opens on Addington Street in 1978. In 1996, the Birmingham site grew to 7 acres (2.8 ha) with the purchase and development of further land, including a public road. In 1998, Wing Yip and his brothers donated a 40-foot (12 m) granite pagoda to theCity of Birmingham.
Wing Yip's online shopping site was launched in 2004; it includes recipes, cooking and dining information.[1] It primarily served UK consumers. Wing Yip stocks over 4,500 products in its stores.
In 2005, Wing Yip was exhibited at the International Food Exhibition in London.
The Wing Yip Group operates from four freehold sites covering 16.3 acres (6.6 ha) and employs around 300 staff.
