In 1849 Richard Cadbury Barrow (Harrison Barrow's father) took over the tea and coffee warehouse in Bull Street from John Cadbury. Originally Richard Cadbury had set up a draper’s shop in 1794, but the Cadburys opened a new shop next door and started selling tea, coffee and cocoa in 1824. Corporation Street did not exist, it was built during the redevelopment of central Birmingham as part of the Improvement Scheme of the 1870s, breaking through Bull Street midway. From then on Barrows was on the corner of Corporation Street and Bull Street.
Harrison Barrow was born in 1868, and took over Barrow's Stores presumably on the death of his father in 1894. R.C. Barrow was also an Alderman of the city. Harrison Barrow died in 1953.