Hughes Electrical was founded in Lowestoft, Suffolk in 1921 by Frank Hughes who trained as an electrical engineer after having served in the cavalry during the Great War. Originally the company rewound industrial electrical motors for Lowestoft's once large fishing fleet but in 1928 Frank bought his first shop.

Hughes is now the country's 4th largest specialist electrical retailer and the 2nd largest provider of home entertainment and kitchen appliance rentals. The Hughes Direct Web site was voted 2nd best electrical Web site by the readers of Which? magazine in 2010 and its commercial division, Trade Electricals Direct (TED), is one of the country’s fastest growing and most respected business-to-business electrical suppliers.