of the Argos Retail Group. The previous month, GUS had announced that the Jungle.com business was also to be merged into the ARG division of the business and run from Argos' Milton Keynes headquarters. From early in the year the Home Shopping division also embarked on a successful turnaround strategy helped by advisers managed by Rob Wherrett of Zymolysis. Canadian operations With the purchase of British & Colonial Furniture in 1945, GUS gained ownership of their first Canadian business, Woodhouse & Co. Great Universal Stores of Canada Limited was expanded with the further purchases of Legare Co., C. W. Lindsay, Forsts and Adams Furniture Co. In 1953, Isaac Wolfson investigated a merger of his Canadian operations with Canadian department store Robert Simpson but withdrew from the deal at the last minute. By 1964, GUS operated 125 furniture and appliance stores across Canada. Charles Wolfson, Isaac's brother was formerly president, became chairman as of 1 January 1963, and John P. Adderley became president and chief executive officer. The businesses included: Woodhouse & Co (purchased 1945) Legare Co. Adams Furniture Co. C. W. Lindsay and Co. Forst's Ltd. (purchased 1955) In the early 1990s the Canadian company was fined $45,000 (Canadian) for misleading advertising, the largest total fine during that fiscal year. At that point, the company was doing business under the name of Légaré Woodhouse in Montreal and elsewhere in Quebec. The business was sold at a loss of £1.7 million in 1998, as GUS pulled out of the Canadian retail market. South African operations In 1947, Isaac Wolfson visited South Africa on a fact finding mission for investments and purchased shares in the newly public issued furniture retailer Lewis Stores, which operated 8 stores Lewis Stores share holding was grown to take ownership of the business, and further investments were made in manufacturing businesses Workwear, Sweet-our, Lydbrook and Durban Bag Company. By 1956, Lewis Stores had grown to a 45 store chain including the brands Lewis Stores, Baron Furnishings, Excelsior Meubels and a credit clothing store called Universal Stores. By 1964 the retail business had grown to 120 stores. In 1972, Universal Stores were sold to South African rival Edgars, while 50 furniture stores were purchased from Edgar's and renamed Dan Hands, and the business opened stores in Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland. During the 1990s the furniture stores were rebranded under the Lewis brand, and the electrical retailer Best Electricals