During the First World War the business turned to uniform contracts, and both the number of shops and the size of the workforce expanded rapidly. Shop sales rose from £52,000 in 1915 to £140,000 in 1917.

Few records survive from the early years, but the wages book for 1916-1917 indicates the size of the labour force. Dr Sigsworth has calculated that there were 108 women and 124 men on the workforce. One of these was Bernard, Montague's half brother, who had also adopted the surname Burton.

Burton had to struggle in the war years to avoid using his original surname in company documents. He had not yet changed his name legally, and wartime legislation, in an attempt to keep tabs on enemy aliens, required business people to use their true names. Jewish immigrants, with their often German-sounding names, protested that this exposed them to prejudice. Burton, for his part, eventually succeeded, and was also granted exemption from war service, on the grounds of his business as a war contractor and his indifferent health.

By 1917, the firm had become 'Montague Burton Limited (incorporating Burton & Burton - founded 1900)', although the only shareholders at this stage were Montague Burton and his wife. The business continued to grow, and the number of shops increased annually. Burton recruited loyal and able managers - like Ellis Hurwitz, production manager of the Concord Street factory from 1915 - who remained with the firm for the rest of their careers.

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