Godfreys

Godfreys is an Australian and New Zealand-based retailer in the domestic and commercial floorcare & cleaning industry. The company was founded by Godfrey Cohen in 1931, and has since grown to approximately 200[1] company and franchise-owned stores combined across Australia and New Zealand.

Godfrey Cohen founded the first Godfreys store in 1931 in the Prahran Market, Melbourne,[2] simultaneously revolutionising the vacuum cleaner business in Australia. It wasn't long before John Johnston came across Godfrey Cohen's business, and the two quickly became business partners over a simple handshake that lasted for over 70 years. Over this period the business rapidly expanded within Australia as demand from customers increased after World War II, and the product range grew from solely bagged vacuum cleaners to include steam mops, carpet shampooers, robotic vacuums, handstick vacuums, wet & dry vacuums, handheld vacuums, hard floor cleaners, garment steamers, backpack vacuums, floor polishers, carpet blowers, bagless vacuums, cleaning consumables and more including a range of anti-allergy, asthma and pet hair vacuum cleaners recognised by the National Asthma Council Australia as Sensitive Choice approved.

Godfrey Cohen died in 2004 and Godfreys was sold to private equity companies Pacific Equity Partners and CCMP Capital Asia for $350 million in 2006.[3][4] The company was relisted on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2014 at $2.75 per share, but was subsequently removed from the ASX in July 2018 after John Johnston, who first joined Godfreys in 1936 as a partner, proposed a private takeover of the company.[5] His family company already owned 28% of the shares prior to this takeover.