Philip Day | |
---|---|
Born | Philip Edward Day October 1965 (age 58) |
Nationality | British |
Occupation | Businessman |
Title | CEO and owner, Edinburgh Woollen Mill |
Spouse | Debra Day (m. 1990) |
Children | 3 |
Philip Edward Day (born October 1965) is a Dubai-based British billionaire businessman, and the CEO and owner of The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group, which owns Peacocks, Jaeger, Jane Norman, Austin Reed, and other high-street retailers.
As of May 2020, his net worth was £1.1 billion, according to the Sunday Times Rich List . [1]
Philip Edward Day was born in October 1965. [2] He grew up on a council estate in Stockport and while at school he held down a number of part-time jobs, including working at his parents' newsagents shop. [3]
Turning down a place at university, Day started his career at clothing manufacturers Coats Viyella and Wensum before being headhunted to join Aquascutum at the age of 28. [4] He remained at the brand for 5 years, becoming Joint Managing Director. [3]
In 2001, Day left Aquascutum and joined Edinburgh Woollen Mill, where he led a buyout of the company backed by Rutland Fund Management, a private equity firm. In 2002, he acquired the company for £67.5 million with the backing of Bank of Scotland. [5] At the time, the company employed 3,140 people. [5]
In 2008, EWM bought home furnishing company Ponden Mill and soft furnishings company Rosebys. The stores were rebranded as Ponden Home across the UK. [6]
In 2009, Day bought Scottish golfing brand ProQuip for a reported £750,000. [7] In 2011, Day acquired women's fashion retailer Jane Norman, which had fallen into administration. [7]
In 2016, Day bought outfitters Austin Reed and Country Casuals from administration. Day said he planned to open 50 new Austin Reed stores by 2018. [8]
In 2017, Day acquired British fashion brand Jaeger, again from administration. Day said the acquisition was part of EWM's plan to open a new department store. [9]
In July 2019, Day's company, Spectre Holdings, had acquired 93% of the women's fashion chain Bonmarche. [10]
In 2012, Day acquired fashion retailer Peacocks out of administration. Day is reported have put £200 million of his own money on the line for the acquisition. EWM bought 338 of the chain's stores and said that they would open another 50 stores. [11] According to Forbes, the turnaround of Peacocks played a significant role in Day's success. [12]
In May 2017, Day announced the Days Department Stores. The first store opened in former BHS premises in Guildhall Square, Carmarthen. According to Drapers, Day plans to open more than 50 of the stores and has plans to open shops in Crawley and Bedford. [13]
The department store stocks products from a number of EWM brands, including Peacocks, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Ponden Home, Jane Norman, Jaeger, and Austin Reed. [14] [15]
Day owns a wildlife sanctuary in Scotland which undertakes research into the preservation and reintroduction of endangered Scottish wildlife, including wolves and wildcats. [16] The park has more than 14 species of deer. [17] Day also owns the largest green energy Anaerobic Digester in the UK. [16]
He was the main financial backer of Carlisle United F.C. although he says that he does not like football. He says he supports the team because otherwise it wouldn't exist. Though Day managed to plunge the football club into over £2.1million of debt when Edinburgh Woolen Mill itself entered administration. Edinburgh Woollen Mill was also the main shirt sponsor of the team. [18]
Day has been married to his wife Debra since 1990. He owns Edmond Castle, a Tudor-style house in Brampton, Cumbria, England, [3] [20] built 1824 to 1829, and designed by Sir Robert Smirke. [20] Day is keen on shooting, especially pheasant and duck, and has been a director of Carlisle United, the local football club. [3]
They have two daughters and one son. [21] [3] In 2016, their daughter Lauren Day joined the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group board as group development director. [22] In 2010, their daughter Kirstie Day won Miss Cumbria; and a leaked email from EWM's head office to its stores ordered staff to vote for her to become Miss England, "I need and expect all stores to register a minimum of 10 votes today and I mean everybody!" [3]
In 2013, Day was fined £450,000, ordered to pay £457,000 in costs, and called "grossly negligent" by the judge, for clearing part of Gelt Woods, near Brampton, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), for a pheasant shoot. [23] Day later pursued a negligence claim against the solicitors who acted for him, on the basis that negligent advice resulted in excessive court costs in the criminal proceedings, that negligence claim was dismissed by the High Court on 3 December 2021. [24]
In February 2014, Day was due in Dumfries Sheriff Court on a charge of driving without due care and attention, after admitting to driving at 83 mph and overtaking unsafely on the A7 between Auchenrivock and Canonbie in February 2012. [25]
As of 2017, Day lives in Dubai, and "spends fewer than 10 days a year in the UK". [26] [27]
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Jenners was a well-established department store in Edinburgh, Scotland, situated on Princes Street. It was Scotland's oldest independent department store until the retail business was acquired by House of Fraser in 2005. It closed in December 2020 and was vacated by House of Fraser in May 2021. The building will eventually be restored.
British Home Stores, commonly abbreviated to BHS and latterly legally styled BHS Ltd, was a British department store chain, primarily selling clothing and household items. In its later years, the company began to expand into furniture, electronics, entertainment, convenience groceries and fragrance and beauty products.
Allders was an independent department store operating in the United Kingdom.
Austin Reed was a British fashion retailer founded in 1900, and the brand was acquired by Edinburgh Woollen Mill in 2016.
House of Fraser and Frasers are a British department store chain with 29 locations across the United Kingdom, part of Frasers Group. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891, it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, and after the Second World War a large number of acquisitions transformed the company into a national chain.
Burton is a British online clothing retailer and former high street retailer specialising in men's clothing and footwear. The company was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index, but became a trading name of Arcadia Group Brands Ltd, part of the Arcadia Group. Sir Philip Green acquired the Arcadia Group in 2002, and it became the sole owner of Burton. In 2021, Boohoo.com acquired the brand after Arcadia went into administration.
Jaeger is a British fashion brand and retailer of womenswear and menswear. Traditionally known for a classic 'twinset and pearls' image and the use of high-quality natural fibres, it has focused on updating its brand image since 2008, when it first appeared at London Fashion Week.
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Peacocks is a fast-fashion retail chain from the United Kingdom-based in Cardiff, Wales. The chain is now part of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill group, and employs over 6,000 people. There are currently over four hundred Peacocks retail outlets located in the United Kingdom; and more than two hundred stores located in twelve other countries throughout Europe.
Aquascutum is a luxury clothing manufacturer and retailer. Originally British, it is currently owned by Shandong Ruyi.
Jane Norman was a United Kingdom-based women's clothing retailer, owned by Edinburgh Woollen Mill, it is also the sister company of fashion chain Peacocks
Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) is a Carlisle-based retailer specialising in clothing, along with interests in homewares and destination shopping for tourists. It was previously owned by the Dubai-based British billionaire Philip Day.
Rosebys was a retail chain, consisting of over 300 soft-furnishing stores across the United Kingdom. Rosebys sold bedding, curtains, bathroom textiles, and other products. In September 2008 it was announced that Rosebys had become a victim of the recession caused by the 2008 credit crunch and had been placed into administration. As of 2022, the defunct brand is still owned by Indian manufacturing company, GHCL Limited, who have owned the chain since 2006.
Broadway Shopping Centre is the principal covered shopping centre in the town centre of Bexleyheath and is the largest single covered shopping facility in the London Borough of Bexley.
Bonmarché is a clothing retailer based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The business was founded in 1982, and was acquired by the Peacock Group in July 2002.
Internacionale was a British retailer of fashion apparel and home accessories that target fashion-conscious women. It sold women's wear including dresses, tops, jeans, trousers, jackets and jewellery. Headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, Internacionale has stores throughout the United Kingdom. It operates under the brand "Internacionale" in numerous city centres in the UK, while having homeware stores under the brand "Au Naturale" in suburbs. In 2013, the company went into administration and was then sold to Internacionale UK, a new company backed by the existing shareholders of the former company. The sale kept more than 1,500 jobs alive in 114 remaining stores of Internacionale at that time.
Chester Barrie was a 'semi-bespoke' gentleman's tailor last located at No. 19 Savile Row, London.
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