Don Lewin
Encyclopedia
Don Lewin OBE
(born 1933) is the chairman and founder of Clinton Cards
, a chain of greeting cards shops in the United Kingdom
. He and his family were estimated to be worth £139 million in 2008.
Lewin was born in Bow
in the East End of London
and grew up during the Blitz
, the German aerial attacks on London in World War II
. After leaving school at the age of 15, he worked for a building firm, did two years of National Service
, sold brushes from door to door and sold credit. At the age of 26, he got a job as a freelance salesman selling greeting cards to retailers. In 1968, he borrowed £500, opened a specialist greeting card shop in Epping
, Essex
, and created the company Clinton Cards
, named after his son, Clinton. He opened a chain of seven shops, five of which he then sold to reinvest in larger shops in better locations. By 1988, he had created a chain of 87 shops and the following year, floated the company on the stock exchange for a valuation of £20 million, retaining 50 per cent of the shares and using money raised to acquire rival greeting cards chains. By 2004, the company had 800 shops in the United Kingdom and Ireland, was valued at £140 million on the London Stock Exchange
and had sales of £492 million. The family stake in the business, share sales and other assets were estimated to be £139 million in 2008. Lewin was made an OBE
in 1996 and his autobiography, Pick a Card, was released in 2008.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1933) is the chairman and founder of Clinton Cards
Clinton Cards
Clinton Cards is a chain of stores in the UK founded in 1968 by Don Lewin. Mostly selling greeting cards, as the name suggests, the chain claims to be "the largest specialist retailer of greetings cards, plush merchandise and related products in the UK with over 700 shops." They used to be...
, a chain of greeting cards shops in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He and his family were estimated to be worth £139 million in 2008.
Lewin was born in Bow
Bow, London
Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
in the East End of London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
and grew up during the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
, the German aerial attacks on London in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After leaving school at the age of 15, he worked for a building firm, did two years of National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
, sold brushes from door to door and sold credit. At the age of 26, he got a job as a freelance salesman selling greeting cards to retailers. In 1968, he borrowed £500, opened a specialist greeting card shop in Epping
Epping
Epping is a small market town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the County of Essex, England. It is located north-east of Loughton, south of Harlow and north-west of Brentwood....
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, and created the company Clinton Cards
Clinton Cards
Clinton Cards is a chain of stores in the UK founded in 1968 by Don Lewin. Mostly selling greeting cards, as the name suggests, the chain claims to be "the largest specialist retailer of greetings cards, plush merchandise and related products in the UK with over 700 shops." They used to be...
, named after his son, Clinton. He opened a chain of seven shops, five of which he then sold to reinvest in larger shops in better locations. By 1988, he had created a chain of 87 shops and the following year, floated the company on the stock exchange for a valuation of £20 million, retaining 50 per cent of the shares and using money raised to acquire rival greeting cards chains. By 2004, the company had 800 shops in the United Kingdom and Ireland, was valued at £140 million on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and had sales of £492 million. The family stake in the business, share sales and other assets were estimated to be £139 million in 2008. Lewin was made an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1996 and his autobiography, Pick a Card, was released in 2008.