Mills family have been involved in the newsagency business since 1938; when Nigel Mills' grandfather, Fredrick William Mills bought his first newsagency business in West
Monkseaton, Whitley Bay.

The family then built the business up to 32 stores by 1972; due to the death of Mr F W Mills the business was sold to Thompson Regional Newspapers.

In 1986 Nigel Mills and his father John Mills set up a new company called Mills Newsagents Limited and purchased 11 newsagency businesses based in the Tyne & Wear area.

1987 saw the business expand into North West Cumbria through the purchase of a newsagency business in Cockermouth, with the Head Office being maintained in Whitley Bay.

In 1988 a new company was set up with Richard Linsell called Mills (East Midlands) Limited which started the expansion of the group into North Lincolnshire, South Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire area.

Throughout the 90’s the group continued to expand by purchasing businesses and converting them into C Stores. However, C stores in those days were very much focused on alcohol, newspapers & magazines, confectionery and greeting cards with very little presence of fresh & chilled apart from milk and bread.

In September 2003 Morgam News was aquired, which then traded from 27 stores in the Birmingham areas. Mills Group thus became a National Retailer with 85 stores, 50 of which were licensed C stores and 35 were newsagency businesses.

In 1986/1987 the groups turnover was £2Million. Currently the stores generate cash through the tills of both products and services which exceeds £100 million per annum. Over the past 21 years the turnover of the group has increased by over 50 times.

The need to grow was driven by the need to meet the ever expanding and rising costs
associated with running convenience stores and newsagency businesses and the desire to become one of the major retailers in the UK within our industry