George Davies (retailer)
Encyclopedia
George Davies is an English
fashion
designer and retailer.
Davis headed Next
from its creation in the 1980s, before moving on to start the fashion label 'George at Asda' in the 1990s. Leaving Asda in 2000 following their acquisition by Walmart, he launched the Per Una fashion collection at Marks & Spencer
.
In 2009, Davies launched his 4th brand (called GIVe) which saw 26 stores opening in selected towns and Cities in the UK along with an e-commerce retailing.
Dubbed as a "serial brand creator", the "King of the High Street" and "the leading fashion visionary" he was awarded the Drapers
Record Life Time Achievement award in 2003 and the "Designer of the Decade" by Prima in 2004. It has recently been estimated by the Financial Times
that Davies has been responsible for the sale of over £54 billion worth of clothing since his time at Next.
Davies is also considered to be an outspoken personality, particularly when voicing his opinions regarding the UK's retail sector.
maker George Snr, and seamstress Mary Davies. Davies cites his mother as his motivation to succeed in life in fashion:
His grandparents lived on a farm
in Thornton
, Crosby
, and his parents moved closer to the coast when he was 11, when his mother took over a Post Office
and his father became a sausage factory manager. Davies attended Bootle Grammar School
, where he enjoyed sports including golf
, football and tennis
.
Asked recently by The Sunday Times if he had ever been "hard up" he responded "No. When I got pocket money as a young boy, I would save it. Apart from a blip when I was first in business, I’ve always had money. From the age of 16, I worked as a milkman in my holidays and saved to buy my first car, a Mini van". In the same article, Davies was asked if he was better off than his parents had been. "Financially, I am. But “better off” should be measured by more than finance. My parents were an amazingly happy couple and never wanted for anything. My father was the manager of a sausage factory and my mother bought and ran a post office in her fifties".http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/investment/article6850694.ece
A passionate supporter of Liverpool FC through his father, (nowadays, he is frequently seen watching from the Director's box), Davies had trials for the club during the reign of Bill Shankly
but was unsuccessful (in 1995 he told The Independent
that as things as turned out, it was probably for the best) although he did go on to play centre forward for Bangor City, he also represented England Universities and England Under 18's at football and scored twice against Scotland.
whose head office was based in the city (he also applied to work for Pilkington
, the glass manufacturer, but Littlewoods responded first). He started off as a graduate trainee before ending up in stock control and then as a buyer (ankle socks). His experience at Littlewoods is where Davies cites as being the cornerstone of one of his fundamental beliefs of successful retailing - the importance of effective stock control and the need for understanding local buying patterns - commonly known in retail as Trading. He also credits Littlewoods as offering him "the most fantastic training" environment which was to strongly contribute to his successes in the future.
In 2007, he told The Times "During the Whitsun holidays in Manchester, children dressed up in white and took part in the Whit Walks. Sales of white ankle socks went up by 200 dozen in the area and I had only sent 10. The manager of the store was soon on the phone shouting about what some stupid person had done. I had to drive to the supplier in Leicestershire and deliver the socks myself. It saved my job. Without that I don’t think I would be here now. It taught me that in retailing every store is different.”
In 1973, he was invited to join a fast growing home-based fashion retailer called Pippa Dee which operated in a similar trading style to Tupperware, counting on a self-employed force of over thirteen thousand women to organise house party plan sales across the UK. Davies initially joined as Product and Design Director but very quickly became the driving force behind the sales operation. In a move that was to be reflected in his later business life, Davies left Pippa Dee amid a boardroom struggle and broken promises from other directors.
based men's retailer Hepworths
, Sir Terence Conran
, approached Davies to join the retail chain and revamp the concept to better combine their new purchase, the 70 stores of Kendall & Sons Ltd
.
Briefed to come up with a concept that would bring profitability to Kendalls, Davies' response was a blueprint which became NEXT, now the third most successful high street chain in the UK after Marks and Spencer and BHS/Arcadia Group
.
The first NEXT shops opened on February 12, 1982, with the Kendall's conversion complete by the end of 1983. Based around "the total concept look," it encouraged customers to mix and match within a style, resulting in customers having both trend and buying more. The average NEXT customer would buy five items, as opposed to the one they had entered the shop originally to buy.
Made Chief Executive in 1984, Davies then converted the 50 Hepworths stores to the NEXT format, extending the total concept look at the same time to cover menswear. In 1985, NEXT interiors was added to stores which were deemed in the "right demographical areas." In 1986, Davies moved the groups headquarters from Leeds to Leicester, to be closer to the main garment manufacturers.
In 1987, the group bought the Grattan catalogue company. Extending first to introduce NEXT childrenswear, he then introduced the NEXT Directory based around four key concepts:
At the same time, Davies launched the NEXT account card.
The pressures of ever-increasing growth and expansion demanded by the analysts in the city caused NEXT to go through turbulent times in 1988. Under new chairman Sir David Jones, Davies' expansion plans and diversification of the brand were cited as one of the causes for the share price dropping. In December 1988, Davies was sacked from Next by chairman Sir David Jones, who accused him of being egotistical and taking Next to the verge of bankruptcy
.
What Next?
In 1995, Davies founded Sporter, a sporting aligned clothing manufacturer. It supplies branded merchandise for sports clubs including Liverpool F.C and Arsenal F.C as well as Newcastle United F.C.
and Rangers F.C.
. Sporter today employs over 100 staff, with offices in the UK, India
, Sri Lanka
and Italy
.
to create a new range of clothing, in the 1990s Davies produced his second household-name brand, George at Asda. Davies was positive about the approach, the shift of consumer spending moved from high street to out of town accessible development. Asda CEO Archie Norman
commented that Davies grasped the fact that the line had to be based on value, and be a distinct brand name on its own.
The George brand and range was developed by Davies's company Red Creative, set up to provide provide full clothing retail solutions through a team of designers and marketeers.
In 2000, Asda was bought by the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart of the United States
. With the resultant resignation of the UK board, Davies also resigned his direct association. At the time of the takeover, the George brand was turning over £600M.
By 2002, Wal-Mart had rolled out George Clothing across the USA, and presently has annual global sales of £2bn. In October 2009, the BBC
reported that George @ Asda brand had officially become the UK's biggest selling clothing retailer, taking over from Marks and Spencer, with a 10% UK market share.
Introduced to chairman Luc Vandevelde and CEO Roger Holmes through a mutual friend, Davies was given the brief to develop a high-touch and distinct brand/line of clothing which would appeal to a younger female market sector. Developed by Red Creative in three months as a joint venture with Marks and Spencer, per una ( For one (woman)), had a logo of three hearts inspired by a postcard Davies picked up in Italy
whilst looking for ideas for the new collection.
Within three years of launch, per una was creating an annual turnover in excess of £230M, which was over 10% of Marks and Spencer womenswear sales. More importantly, per una was attracting a younger audience back into the store, which was having a positive knock on effect in other departments.
Financial Times reported that it was per una that put Davies in the super-rich league (he sold the 5 year old business to Marks and Spencer in 2004 for £125 million) as part of the retailer’s efforts to block a potential takeover by entrepreneur Sir Philip Green
.
“It (per una) was absolutely fundamental in the resurgence of the core appeal of womenswear,” said Roger Holmes, the former chief executive of M&S who signed Davies up in 2001 to bring the Per Una range to Marks. “Put in the context of the value it created from saving the company as a whole, it was creating billions of profits for shareholders.” Did it save the company? “Yes, I don’t think that overstates the case.”
Sir Stuart Rose saw through the acquisition of the per una brand and Davies stayed on with the company until 2008, which also saw the launch of his GD 25 range celebrating Davies' 25 anniversary in the fashion industry. According to many newspaper articles between 2005 and 2008, the relationship that Davies enjoyed with Rose was not as cordial as the one with his predecessors, Holmes and Vandevelde. However in a recent article in the business section of the Guardian, it appeared the relationship was back on an even-keel "Stuart and I talk," he added, suggesting cold war has become détente. "We have a lot in common on a personal level and in truth, I couldn't do what he does and he probably couldn't do what I do."http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/sep/27/george-davies-retail-give-launch
Recently asked by The Sunday Times what his most lucrative piece of work has ever been, Davies responded "Building up Per Una and selling it on to Marks & Spencer, without a doubt."http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/investment/article6850694.ece
On Davies' departure from per una in December 2008, Rose commented in the Daily Telegraph that "I'll eat my hat if he wants to go and launch another business,"
In a recent article in the Sunday Telegraph
, the architect of Davies' sacking from Next, Sir David Jones, was cited as one of the motivations behind the decision to launch the current brand, GIVe. Davies revealed that it was an informal conversation over a drink with Sir David in early 2009 that convinced him to launch GIVe when he was seriously considering whether it was a risk worth taking or not.
Sir David Jones confirmed the conversation: "I remember the conversation well," "Believe it or not, George Davies and I are very good friends after 25 years. George is an outstanding individual – he started Next, he did George at Asda – and he's a passionate man. Life is too short to hold grudges and I wish him well." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/6234984/George-goes-forth-for-fashions-next-big-thing.html
GIVe opened its doors in 25 towns and cities across the UK in October 2009 and, according to the FT, provides Italian-inspired, high quality women's fashion clothing at affordable prices. The move (in a recession) is typical of Davies who spots a niche, observes what the competition are doing and then does the opposite. In a June 2009 independent poll conducted by Drapers Online, 100% of the voters agreed that the new venture would be another success story for Davies.
Davies describes the range of Italian-inspired luxurious women's wear as "affordable luxury" and the target sector as being women over the age of 30, although Davies recently commented that "it's not about age, it's about attitude".
In July 2009, Drapers reported that Davies was in advanced discussions with House of Fraser
and Dutch retail group Maxeda
to take GIVe to a new dimension in terms of store coverage from Spring 2010. It was suggested that the potential high-profile partnerships demonstrated the "serial brand maker's" commitment to creating a fourth “mega brand” in order to shake up the fashion sector - Davies had been openly critical of the UK’s homogenous high street in 2008.http://www.drapersonline.com/news/multiples/news/hof-and-maxeda-to-take-give-to-next-level/5004243.article
In August 2009, Retail Week
revealed the locations for GIVe's first stores. Under the headline "Fashion legend George Davies has secured a raft of shopping centre deals for his new venture Give", the magazine correctly confirmed GIVe's first chosen store sites. In addition to Regent Street, Bluewater and Meadowhall stores, GIVe is opening in Liverpool, Cribbs Causeway, Kingston, Glasgow and Harrogate in October and November. Sixteen independent retailers (including 10 Beales shops) across the UK entered into joint venture agreements with GIVe to carry the range in a large concession-style deal which also opened in October 2009.
In the run-up to the brand's launch Davies agreed an exclusive deal with women's fashion magazine Grazia
.http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2009/08/21/when-we-met-george-davies.htm. Describing the brand GIVe "as the most exciting story to come out of retail this year" and "from what we’ve seen it's set to be a major new fixture on the British high street", Miller revealed that she and her Editor-in-Chief, Jane Bruton, had been given a preview of the new range which Davies kept very firmly under wraps prior to the brand's launch in October 2009.
On 22 September, Grazia featured a 24-page promotion dedicated to GIVe and some of its clothing and accessory range. Grazia also highlighted that Emma Trayner (Davies' second daughter) has also played a large part in the selection and design input into GIVe's collection. http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2009/09/07/the-woman-behind-the-scenes-at-give-1.htm
In an interview with the Business section of The Sunday Times
, Davies confirmed that he had invested over £20,000,000 of his own money in the new venture. He told the paper that he planned to donate up to 10% of the company's profits to charitable causes. He also revealed that he was in discussions to take the brand global and that he would be disappointed if GIVe did not see sales of £50m-£60m.http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6832158.ece
Davies was described by The Week
as being "indefatigable" - in other words incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring. http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/53464,news,former-next-boss-george-davies-braves-the-high-street-again Elle
magazine commented that "the designs are still underwraps, but we hear we should expect chic womens wear to rival the likes of Whistles
and Karen Millen
".http://www.elleuk.com/news/Fashion-News/george-davies-new-high-street-shopping-venture-to-launch/(gid)/419400
Davies believes that many large high street retailers have failed to react quickly enough and embrace the power of the internet and its impact on the consumer, including the use of social network sites such as Facebook
and Twitter
to get the message of new product into the public domain. In an interview in Retail Week
, Davies comments that "I’ve had to understand a lot of new things like Twitter, Facebook and blogging because that's the route consumers have gone. I feel the high street has left itself open to the rise of that sort of medium."
Davies also revealed to the magazine that the new GIVe stores include in-store internet kiosks giving customers real-time stock information as well as video content of the store's garments on a catwalk (the shopper will scan a bar code into the system and get instant video feedback of what the chosen garment looks like on the catwalk). In addition the same in-store system will allow shoppers to order home delivery. http://www.retail-week.com/multichannel/online-retail/high-street-reaction-to-online-march-too-slow-says-george-davies/5006562.article
In a September 2009 feature in The Mail On Sunday
, the fashion and lifestyle journalist Liz Jones
(a lady with a reputation for upsetting many of her readers with her strong and often outspoken views) wrote: "It (GIVe) is terribly old fashioned and incredibly high tech, all at the same time. What I like about George Davies is that he listens to what women want; if only the likes of Marc Jacobs would do the same. He asks my opinion on what the style advisers should wear on the shop floor. I tell him I’m tired of seeing young, beautiful women looking fabulous and intimidating in every shop. I tell him we want these women to be older, and to wear neat black uniforms with sensible shoes to give our shopping experience a retro and subservient air. ‘OK,’ he says, ‘you’re right. That’s what we’ll do!’" http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1215802/Im-going-affordable-luxury-George-Davies-fashion-brand.html When the stores opened on 1 October 2009, the stylists were dressed entirely in black uniforms.
Speaking to the Financial Times
in December 2009, Davies discussed his intentions of taking the GIVe brand overseas. It had been widely reported that he was in discussions with several different groups in India and the Middle East and was considering launching the brand outside of the UK in the second quarter of 2010. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a9ff10f2-e6be-11de-98b1-00144feab49a.html
In the Drapers Record Magazine "Top 100 Influential People" published in December 2009, George Davies became a new entry at number 9.http://www.drapersonline.com/people/george-davies
GIVe was effectively closed for any further trading in early 2011 and the holding company that was it's parent company, "Sporter Ltd" was put into receivership in September 2011.
), he has a "Super Yacht" and a fleet of luxury cars including a black Ferrari. Maranello.
He is a big fan of Coldplay, Paulo Nutini and James Blunt. In 2008, it was reported that he had built a 7 hole golf course in his back garden.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/3503266/Per-Una-founder-fashions-next-steps.html
Davies divides his time between his family, his business ventures and his seven chosen charities which includes helping the education of under-privileged children in Asia as well as making life more comfortable for British soldiers injured in combat overseas. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Davies revealed that he had decided to give his private yacht away to a charity called Sail 4 Cancer (a charity which provides families suffering from cancer with respite break sailing holidays)http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/investment/article6850694.ece. He also donated the use of his private jet to The Celebration of Life after Cancer charity who successfully auctioned the prize to raise funds for people who were living and coping with cancer.http://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/4682287.Designer_offers_private_jet_as_charity_prize/
In addition, Davies is a Governor of Malvern College
http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/4402561.Business_tycoon_turns_up_at_prizegiving_event/ and is the influence and benefactor behind the George Davies Centre For Retail Excellence at Heriot-Watt University
.
Davies is also a trustee of the Mvumi School Trust, which oversees the DCT Mvumi Secondary School in Tanzania.
Davies was found guilty of drink driving in June 2011 following a 5 mile police chase in May 2010.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
designer and retailer.
Davis headed Next
Next (retailer)
Next plc is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. The company has over 550 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and 50 franchise branches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East...
from its creation in the 1980s, before moving on to start the fashion label 'George at Asda' in the 1990s. Leaving Asda in 2000 following their acquisition by Walmart, he launched the Per Una fashion collection at Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
.
In 2009, Davies launched his 4th brand (called GIVe) which saw 26 stores opening in selected towns and Cities in the UK along with an e-commerce retailing.
Dubbed as a "serial brand creator", the "King of the High Street" and "the leading fashion visionary" he was awarded the Drapers
Drapers
Drapers, formerly Drapers Record, was founded on 6 August 1887 as a magazine for the women's clothing retail trade. It is now the leading weekly business-to-business magazine covering the fashion retail sector...
Record Life Time Achievement award in 2003 and the "Designer of the Decade" by Prima in 2004. It has recently been estimated by the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
that Davies has been responsible for the sale of over £54 billion worth of clothing since his time at Next.
Davies is also considered to be an outspoken personality, particularly when voicing his opinions regarding the UK's retail sector.
Biography
George William Davies was born in Liverpool on October 29, 1941 to sausageSausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
maker George Snr, and seamstress Mary Davies. Davies cites his mother as his motivation to succeed in life in fashion:
His grandparents lived on a farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
in Thornton
Thornton
The given name Thornton originates from the Old English, means "settlement walled by strong thorn hedges" or "thorny estate dweller". May refer to:-United Kingdom:*Thornton, Angus*Thornton, Buckinghamshire*Thornton, East Riding of Yorkshire...
, Crosby
Crosby
- Geography :Canada*Crosby, Ontario, part of the township of Rideau Lakes, Ontario*Crosby, Ontario, a neighbourhood in the town of Markham, OntarioEngland*Crosby, Cumbria*Crosby, Lincolnshire*Crosby, Merseyside**Crosby...
, and his parents moved closer to the coast when he was 11, when his mother took over a Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
and his father became a sausage factory manager. Davies attended Bootle Grammar School
Bootle High School
Bootle High School was located in Netherton, Merseyside, England. It closed in September 2009.-Staff & Pupils:The school, which catered for roughly 600 pupils between the ages of 11 to 16 years old, was under the headship of Mr P. Fryer...
, where he enjoyed sports including golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, football and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
.
Asked recently by The Sunday Times if he had ever been "hard up" he responded "No. When I got pocket money as a young boy, I would save it. Apart from a blip when I was first in business, I’ve always had money. From the age of 16, I worked as a milkman in my holidays and saved to buy my first car, a Mini van". In the same article, Davies was asked if he was better off than his parents had been. "Financially, I am. But “better off” should be measured by more than finance. My parents were an amazingly happy couple and never wanted for anything. My father was the manager of a sausage factory and my mother bought and ran a post office in her fifties".http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/investment/article6850694.ece
A passionate supporter of Liverpool FC through his father, (nowadays, he is frequently seen watching from the Director's box), Davies had trials for the club during the reign of Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
but was unsuccessful (in 1995 he told The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
that as things as turned out, it was probably for the best) although he did go on to play centre forward for Bangor City, he also represented England Universities and England Under 18's at football and scored twice against Scotland.
Early Business Career
After walking away from Birmingham University where he was studying to become a dentist in the early 60's, Davies returned to Liverpool and applied to work for the retailers LittlewoodsLittlewoods
Littlewoods is the name of a former retail and gambling company founded in Liverpool, Merseyside, England by John Moores in 1923.It started as a shopping catalogue company, processing orders by post in the early 1970s. In 1981, it expanded to a call centre, processing orders via telephone. At its...
whose head office was based in the city (he also applied to work for Pilkington
Pilkington
Pilkington Group Limited is a multinational glass manufacturing company headquartered in St Helens, United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of the Japan-based NSG Group...
, the glass manufacturer, but Littlewoods responded first). He started off as a graduate trainee before ending up in stock control and then as a buyer (ankle socks). His experience at Littlewoods is where Davies cites as being the cornerstone of one of his fundamental beliefs of successful retailing - the importance of effective stock control and the need for understanding local buying patterns - commonly known in retail as Trading. He also credits Littlewoods as offering him "the most fantastic training" environment which was to strongly contribute to his successes in the future.
In 2007, he told The Times "During the Whitsun holidays in Manchester, children dressed up in white and took part in the Whit Walks. Sales of white ankle socks went up by 200 dozen in the area and I had only sent 10. The manager of the store was soon on the phone shouting about what some stupid person had done. I had to drive to the supplier in Leicestershire and deliver the socks myself. It saved my job. Without that I don’t think I would be here now. It taught me that in retailing every store is different.”
First Entrepreneurial Steps
In 1972 (at the age of 30) Davies launched his first business called Schoolcare which was a mail order company specialising in the supply of children's school uniforms but Schoolcare experienced problems when their bank suffered financial difficulties. Whilst the demise of Schoolcare is no more than a tiny piece in the Davies business jigsaw,it is regarded as the birthplace of another Davies trademark legacy - the "total look concept"In 1973, he was invited to join a fast growing home-based fashion retailer called Pippa Dee which operated in a similar trading style to Tupperware, counting on a self-employed force of over thirteen thousand women to organise house party plan sales across the UK. Davies initially joined as Product and Design Director but very quickly became the driving force behind the sales operation. In a move that was to be reflected in his later business life, Davies left Pippa Dee amid a boardroom struggle and broken promises from other directors.
J Hepworth & Son and NEXT
In 1981, the chairman of LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
based men's retailer Hepworths
Joseph Hepworth
Joseph Hepworth was a British Conservative Party politician.At the 1931 general election, he was elected as Member of Parliament for Bradford East, defeating the sitting Labour Party MP Fred Jowett...
, Sir Terence Conran
Terence Conran
Sir Terence Orby Conran, FCSD, is an English designer, restaurateur, retailer and writer.-Early life and education:Terence Conran was born in Kingston upon Thames, the son of Christina Mabel and South African-born Gerard Rupert Conran, a businessman who owned a rubber importation company in East...
, approached Davies to join the retail chain and revamp the concept to better combine their new purchase, the 70 stores of Kendall & Sons Ltd
Kendall & Sons Ltd
Kendall and Sons Limited was an umbrella, rainwear and ladies wear company founded in 1870, it was bought by Combined English Stores in 1977, and subsequently by Hepworths, a Leeds based menswear company. It was then converted into the Next ladieswear chain....
.
Briefed to come up with a concept that would bring profitability to Kendalls, Davies' response was a blueprint which became NEXT, now the third most successful high street chain in the UK after Marks and Spencer and BHS/Arcadia Group
Arcadia Group
The Arcadia Group Limited a British company that owns the high street clothing retailers Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Topman, Topshop, Wallis and BHS, and the out of town chain Outfit, which sells lines from the other group chains...
.
The first NEXT shops opened on February 12, 1982, with the Kendall's conversion complete by the end of 1983. Based around "the total concept look," it encouraged customers to mix and match within a style, resulting in customers having both trend and buying more. The average NEXT customer would buy five items, as opposed to the one they had entered the shop originally to buy.
Made Chief Executive in 1984, Davies then converted the 50 Hepworths stores to the NEXT format, extending the total concept look at the same time to cover menswear. In 1985, NEXT interiors was added to stores which were deemed in the "right demographical areas." In 1986, Davies moved the groups headquarters from Leeds to Leicester, to be closer to the main garment manufacturers.
In 1987, the group bought the Grattan catalogue company. Extending first to introduce NEXT childrenswear, he then introduced the NEXT Directory based around four key concepts:
- Directory: while a traditional catalogue was printed at a price and kept out of sight, NEXT Directory was hard backed and designed to be placed on a coffee table
- Editorial: the directory was photographed by top fashion and media photographers including Neil Kirk and Herb RittsHerb RittsHerbert "Herb" Ritts was an American fashion photographer who concentrated on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture.-Early life and career:...
, and featuring VogueVogue (magazine)Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
models including Yasmin le BonYasmin Le BonYasmin Le Bon is a British Iranian fashion model. She was born to an Iranian father and an English mother...
, Uma ThurmanUma ThurmanUma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...
and Carla BruniCarla BruniCarla Bruni-Sarkozy is an Italian-French songwriter, singer, actress, and former model...
. - Swatch sample: while traditional catalogues showed glossy paper pictures of models in the clothes, Davies added to the concept by including sample swatches of the actual materials (3" x 3" cut out and stuck-in squares)
- Service: while traditional catalogues often gave a 28day from delivery service, NEXT Directory offered 48hr delivery, allowed for by being directly next to the suppliers
At the same time, Davies launched the NEXT account card.
The pressures of ever-increasing growth and expansion demanded by the analysts in the city caused NEXT to go through turbulent times in 1988. Under new chairman Sir David Jones, Davies' expansion plans and diversification of the brand were cited as one of the causes for the share price dropping. In December 1988, Davies was sacked from Next by chairman Sir David Jones, who accused him of being egotistical and taking Next to the verge of bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
.
"What Next?"
After leaving NEXT, Davies spent time writing his autobiographyAutobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
What Next?
In 1995, Davies founded Sporter, a sporting aligned clothing manufacturer. It supplies branded merchandise for sports clubs including Liverpool F.C and Arsenal F.C as well as Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
and Rangers F.C.
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. Sporter today employs over 100 staff, with offices in the UK, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
George At Asda
Approached by UK supermarket chain AsdaAsda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
to create a new range of clothing, in the 1990s Davies produced his second household-name brand, George at Asda. Davies was positive about the approach, the shift of consumer spending moved from high street to out of town accessible development. Asda CEO Archie Norman
Archie Norman
Archibald John Norman is a British businessman and politician. He is at present the only FTSE 100 chairman to have sat in the House of Commons. On 18 November 2009, Norman was announced as the new chairman of ITV plc...
commented that Davies grasped the fact that the line had to be based on value, and be a distinct brand name on its own.
The George brand and range was developed by Davies's company Red Creative, set up to provide provide full clothing retail solutions through a team of designers and marketeers.
In 2000, Asda was bought by the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. With the resultant resignation of the UK board, Davies also resigned his direct association. At the time of the takeover, the George brand was turning over £600M.
By 2002, Wal-Mart had rolled out George Clothing across the USA, and presently has annual global sales of £2bn. In October 2009, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reported that George @ Asda brand had officially become the UK's biggest selling clothing retailer, taking over from Marks and Spencer, with a 10% UK market share.
Marks & Spencer
As one of the top three recognised brands in the UK, Marks and Spencer had a traditionally strong selling women's clothing line. But in 2000 in light of developing fashion trends driven by distinct brands, needed to develop a new approach in their retail format.Introduced to chairman Luc Vandevelde and CEO Roger Holmes through a mutual friend, Davies was given the brief to develop a high-touch and distinct brand/line of clothing which would appeal to a younger female market sector. Developed by Red Creative in three months as a joint venture with Marks and Spencer, per una ( For one (woman)), had a logo of three hearts inspired by a postcard Davies picked up in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
whilst looking for ideas for the new collection.
Within three years of launch, per una was creating an annual turnover in excess of £230M, which was over 10% of Marks and Spencer womenswear sales. More importantly, per una was attracting a younger audience back into the store, which was having a positive knock on effect in other departments.
Financial Times reported that it was per una that put Davies in the super-rich league (he sold the 5 year old business to Marks and Spencer in 2004 for £125 million) as part of the retailer’s efforts to block a potential takeover by entrepreneur Sir Philip Green
Philip Green
Sir Philip Green is a British businessman. Green was born into a Jewish family in 1952, beginning as a businessman at the age of 15. The first and last quoted company Green took lead of was "Amber Day", from which he stepped down as CEO and Chairman in 1992...
.
“It (per una) was absolutely fundamental in the resurgence of the core appeal of womenswear,” said Roger Holmes, the former chief executive of M&S who signed Davies up in 2001 to bring the Per Una range to Marks. “Put in the context of the value it created from saving the company as a whole, it was creating billions of profits for shareholders.” Did it save the company? “Yes, I don’t think that overstates the case.”
Sir Stuart Rose saw through the acquisition of the per una brand and Davies stayed on with the company until 2008, which also saw the launch of his GD 25 range celebrating Davies' 25 anniversary in the fashion industry. According to many newspaper articles between 2005 and 2008, the relationship that Davies enjoyed with Rose was not as cordial as the one with his predecessors, Holmes and Vandevelde. However in a recent article in the business section of the Guardian, it appeared the relationship was back on an even-keel "Stuart and I talk," he added, suggesting cold war has become détente. "We have a lot in common on a personal level and in truth, I couldn't do what he does and he probably couldn't do what I do."http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/sep/27/george-davies-retail-give-launch
Recently asked by The Sunday Times what his most lucrative piece of work has ever been, Davies responded "Building up Per Una and selling it on to Marks & Spencer, without a doubt."http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/investment/article6850694.ece
On Davies' departure from per una in December 2008, Rose commented in the Daily Telegraph that "I'll eat my hat if he wants to go and launch another business,"
GIVe
On June 13, 2009, George Davies revealed to the Financial Times that he was to launch his fourth fashion business under the name of GIVe as in George 1V – his fourth large fashion venture. The small "e" represents the e-commerce (internet element) of the company. The company has also been named GIVe because it is Davies' intention to donate part of the profits to charitable causes – he was quoted in the Sunday Times as expecting this figure to be up to 10% of the company's profits.http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6832158.eceIn a recent article in the Sunday Telegraph
Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
, the architect of Davies' sacking from Next, Sir David Jones, was cited as one of the motivations behind the decision to launch the current brand, GIVe. Davies revealed that it was an informal conversation over a drink with Sir David in early 2009 that convinced him to launch GIVe when he was seriously considering whether it was a risk worth taking or not.
Sir David Jones confirmed the conversation: "I remember the conversation well," "Believe it or not, George Davies and I are very good friends after 25 years. George is an outstanding individual – he started Next, he did George at Asda – and he's a passionate man. Life is too short to hold grudges and I wish him well." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/6234984/George-goes-forth-for-fashions-next-big-thing.html
GIVe opened its doors in 25 towns and cities across the UK in October 2009 and, according to the FT, provides Italian-inspired, high quality women's fashion clothing at affordable prices. The move (in a recession) is typical of Davies who spots a niche, observes what the competition are doing and then does the opposite. In a June 2009 independent poll conducted by Drapers Online, 100% of the voters agreed that the new venture would be another success story for Davies.
Davies describes the range of Italian-inspired luxurious women's wear as "affordable luxury" and the target sector as being women over the age of 30, although Davies recently commented that "it's not about age, it's about attitude".
In July 2009, Drapers reported that Davies was in advanced discussions with House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. 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, but after the Second...
and Dutch retail group Maxeda
Maxeda
Maxeda is a Dutch retail group that operates in Europe, the Middle East and Dutch dependencies in North America. It is the result of the merger of Koninklijke Bijenkorf Beheer and Vendex. The firm is mostly known for their successful department stores...
to take GIVe to a new dimension in terms of store coverage from Spring 2010. It was suggested that the potential high-profile partnerships demonstrated the "serial brand maker's" commitment to creating a fourth “mega brand” in order to shake up the fashion sector - Davies had been openly critical of the UK’s homogenous high street in 2008.http://www.drapersonline.com/news/multiples/news/hof-and-maxeda-to-take-give-to-next-level/5004243.article
In August 2009, Retail Week
Retail Week
Retail Week is a UK-based news magazine covering the retail industry.Founded in 1988 by financial journalist Patience Wheatcroft and her husband Tony Salter, it is now owned by the business magazine publisher EMAP.The magazine is published every Friday...
revealed the locations for GIVe's first stores. Under the headline "Fashion legend George Davies has secured a raft of shopping centre deals for his new venture Give", the magazine correctly confirmed GIVe's first chosen store sites. In addition to Regent Street, Bluewater and Meadowhall stores, GIVe is opening in Liverpool, Cribbs Causeway, Kingston, Glasgow and Harrogate in October and November. Sixteen independent retailers (including 10 Beales shops) across the UK entered into joint venture agreements with GIVe to carry the range in a large concession-style deal which also opened in October 2009.
In the run-up to the brand's launch Davies agreed an exclusive deal with women's fashion magazine Grazia
Grazia
Grazia is an Italian weekly women's fashion and celebrity gossip magazine, with international editions printed in France, Serbia, Australia, United Kingdom, Greece, Portugal, Japan, the Netherlands, India, Bulgaria and Germany....
.http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2009/08/21/when-we-met-george-davies.htm. Describing the brand GIVe "as the most exciting story to come out of retail this year" and "from what we’ve seen it's set to be a major new fixture on the British high street", Miller revealed that she and her Editor-in-Chief, Jane Bruton, had been given a preview of the new range which Davies kept very firmly under wraps prior to the brand's launch in October 2009.
On 22 September, Grazia featured a 24-page promotion dedicated to GIVe and some of its clothing and accessory range. Grazia also highlighted that Emma Trayner (Davies' second daughter) has also played a large part in the selection and design input into GIVe's collection. http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2009/09/07/the-woman-behind-the-scenes-at-give-1.htm
In an interview with the Business section of The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, Davies confirmed that he had invested over £20,000,000 of his own money in the new venture. He told the paper that he planned to donate up to 10% of the company's profits to charitable causes. He also revealed that he was in discussions to take the brand global and that he would be disappointed if GIVe did not see sales of £50m-£60m.http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6832158.ece
Davies was described by The Week
The Week
The Week, styled as THE WEEK, is a weekly news magazine.-History:It was founded in the United Kingdom by Jolyon Connell in 1995. In April 2001, the magazine began publishing an American edition; an Australian edition followed in October 2008. Dennis Publishing publishes the U.K. and Australian...
as being "indefatigable" - in other words incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring. http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/53464,news,former-next-boss-george-davies-braves-the-high-street-again Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
magazine commented that "the designs are still underwraps, but we hear we should expect chic womens wear to rival the likes of Whistles
Whistles
Whistles is a clothing brand with 40 stores across Britain. It was founded in the early 1980s by Lucille and Richard Lewin.In January 2008, Jane Shepherdson, former Topshop director, signed a deal to purchase a 20 per cent stake in Whistles and was appointed the job of chief executive.-Style:In the...
and Karen Millen
Karen Millen
Karen Millen is an Icelandic owned women’s designer clothing brand, specialising in tailoring, coats and eveningwear. Karen Millen stores are found throughout the United Kingdom, America, Austria, Denmark, the Republic of Ireland and many other European countries.-History:The company was founded in...
".http://www.elleuk.com/news/Fashion-News/george-davies-new-high-street-shopping-venture-to-launch/(gid)/419400
Davies believes that many large high street retailers have failed to react quickly enough and embrace the power of the internet and its impact on the consumer, including the use of social network sites such as Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
to get the message of new product into the public domain. In an interview in Retail Week
Retail Week
Retail Week is a UK-based news magazine covering the retail industry.Founded in 1988 by financial journalist Patience Wheatcroft and her husband Tony Salter, it is now owned by the business magazine publisher EMAP.The magazine is published every Friday...
, Davies comments that "I’ve had to understand a lot of new things like Twitter, Facebook and blogging because that's the route consumers have gone. I feel the high street has left itself open to the rise of that sort of medium."
Davies also revealed to the magazine that the new GIVe stores include in-store internet kiosks giving customers real-time stock information as well as video content of the store's garments on a catwalk (the shopper will scan a bar code into the system and get instant video feedback of what the chosen garment looks like on the catwalk). In addition the same in-store system will allow shoppers to order home delivery. http://www.retail-week.com/multichannel/online-retail/high-street-reaction-to-online-march-too-slow-says-george-davies/5006562.article
In a September 2009 feature in The Mail On Sunday
The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
, the fashion and lifestyle journalist Liz Jones
Liz Jones
Elizabeth Ann Jones, known as Liz Jones , is a British journalist and writer.She originally followed a career in fashion journalism, but her work has broadened into confessional writing. Jones divides opinion...
(a lady with a reputation for upsetting many of her readers with her strong and often outspoken views) wrote: "It (GIVe) is terribly old fashioned and incredibly high tech, all at the same time. What I like about George Davies is that he listens to what women want; if only the likes of Marc Jacobs would do the same. He asks my opinion on what the style advisers should wear on the shop floor. I tell him I’m tired of seeing young, beautiful women looking fabulous and intimidating in every shop. I tell him we want these women to be older, and to wear neat black uniforms with sensible shoes to give our shopping experience a retro and subservient air. ‘OK,’ he says, ‘you’re right. That’s what we’ll do!’" http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1215802/Im-going-affordable-luxury-George-Davies-fashion-brand.html When the stores opened on 1 October 2009, the stylists were dressed entirely in black uniforms.
Speaking to the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
in December 2009, Davies discussed his intentions of taking the GIVe brand overseas. It had been widely reported that he was in discussions with several different groups in India and the Middle East and was considering launching the brand outside of the UK in the second quarter of 2010. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a9ff10f2-e6be-11de-98b1-00144feab49a.html
In the Drapers Record Magazine "Top 100 Influential People" published in December 2009, George Davies became a new entry at number 9.http://www.drapersonline.com/people/george-davies
GIVe was effectively closed for any further trading in early 2011 and the holding company that was it's parent company, "Sporter Ltd" was put into receivership in September 2011.
Personal life and charity support
Davies is the father of seven children (five daughters and two sons) and has three former wives. In addition to owning the world's fastest commercial private jet (the 700+ mph Cessna Citation XCessna Citation X
The Cessna Citation X is a long-range medium business jet aircraft. The Citation X is powered by two Rolls-Royce turbofan engines and is built by the Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas. It is the fastest production civilian jet in the world. The Citation brand of business jets encompasses...
), he has a "Super Yacht" and a fleet of luxury cars including a black Ferrari. Maranello.
He is a big fan of Coldplay, Paulo Nutini and James Blunt. In 2008, it was reported that he had built a 7 hole golf course in his back garden.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/3503266/Per-Una-founder-fashions-next-steps.html
Davies divides his time between his family, his business ventures and his seven chosen charities which includes helping the education of under-privileged children in Asia as well as making life more comfortable for British soldiers injured in combat overseas. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Davies revealed that he had decided to give his private yacht away to a charity called Sail 4 Cancer (a charity which provides families suffering from cancer with respite break sailing holidays)http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/investment/article6850694.ece. He also donated the use of his private jet to The Celebration of Life after Cancer charity who successfully auctioned the prize to raise funds for people who were living and coping with cancer.http://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/4682287.Designer_offers_private_jet_as_charity_prize/
In addition, Davies is a Governor of Malvern College
Malvern College
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/4402561.Business_tycoon_turns_up_at_prizegiving_event/ and is the influence and benefactor behind the George Davies Centre For Retail Excellence at Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University is a university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The name commemorates George Heriot, the 16th century financier to King James, and James Watt, the great 18th century inventor and engineer....
.
Davies is also a trustee of the Mvumi School Trust, which oversees the DCT Mvumi Secondary School in Tanzania.
Davies was found guilty of drink driving in June 2011 following a 5 mile police chase in May 2010.
Biography/Timeline
- 1941 – Born George William Davies on 29 October 1941 in CrosbyCrosby, MerseysideCrosby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Lancashire it is situated north of Bootle, south of Southport, Formby and west of Netherton-History:...
, LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880... - 1962 – Leaves his dentistryDentistryDentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
degree at the University of BirminghamUniversity of BirminghamThe University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, to start his career as a buyer for LittlewoodsLittlewoodsLittlewoods is the name of a former retail and gambling company founded in Liverpool, Merseyside, England by John Moores in 1923.It started as a shopping catalogue company, processing orders by post in the early 1970s. In 1981, it expanded to a call centre, processing orders via telephone. At its... - 1972 – Starts his own company,'Schoolcare'
- 1982 – Launches the retail chain, 'Next'
- 1984 – Launches Next for Men
- 1988 – Launches the Next Directory
- 1990 – Launches the clothing label, 'George at Asda'
- 1995 – Launches the sports leisure wear manufacturer S'porter and retail design consultancy red creative
- 1999 – Launches leisure wear collection for Liverpool Football Club
- 2000 – Resigns from AsdaAsdaAsda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
after takeover by Walmart - 2001 – Per Una label for Marks & Spencer launches on September 28
- 2002 – Per Una to franchise stores launched around the world, M&S retains exclusive UK rights
- 2002 – Launches Collezione Italia, a collection designed in Italy
- 2004 – Launches Per Una Due, a younger version of Per Una
- 2004 – Launches Per Una Beauty - Fragrance and Cosmetics
- 2005 – Marks & Spencer buys rights to the Per Una brand
- 2005 – Launches leisure wear collection for Arsenal Football Club
- 2005 – Resigns then reverses decision to quit Per Una and returns as consultant/chairman
- 2005 – Appears on BBC's Desert Island Discs
- 2008 – Resigns as Chairman of Per Una in December 2008
- 2009 – Announces the launch of his 4th fashion business - GIVe which opened in 25 stores across the UK on October 1, 2009
Awards and honours
- 1985 – The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Young Businessman of Year 1985 - 1987 – Wood Mackenzie Retailer of Year
- 1987 – FRSA (Fellow Royal Society of Arts)
- 1988 – Marketing Personality of Year
- 1988 – Senior Fellow Royal College of ArtRoyal College of ArtThe Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
- 1989 – Hon DBADoctor of Business AdministrationThe degree of Doctor of Business Administration, abbreviated, or and equivalent to , is a research doctorate in business administration. The D.B.A...
Liverpool PolytechnicLiverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpool John Moores University is a British 'modern' university located in the city of Liverpool, England. The university is named after John Moores and was previously called Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts and later Liverpool Polytechnic before gaining university status in 1992, thus...
(now Liverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpool John Moores University is a British 'modern' university located in the city of Liverpool, England. The university is named after John Moores and was previously called Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts and later Liverpool Polytechnic before gaining university status in 1992, thus...
) - 1992 – Had his first son, George
- 1993 – Had his second son, Barnaby
- 1996 – Hon DDes Nottingham Trent UniversityNottingham Trent UniversityNottingham Trent University is a public teaching and research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as a new university in 1992 from the existing Trent Polytechnic , however it can trace its roots back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design...
- 2002 – Hon DDes Middlesex UniversityMiddlesex UniversityMiddlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
- 2003 – Doctor of LettersDoctor of LettersDoctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
, Heriot-Watt UniversityHeriot-Watt UniversityHeriot-Watt University is a university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The name commemorates George Heriot, the 16th century financier to King James, and James Watt, the great 18th century inventor and engineer.... - 2003 – DrapersDrapersDrapers, formerly Drapers Record, was founded on 6 August 1887 as a magazine for the women's clothing retail trade. It is now the leading weekly business-to-business magazine covering the fashion retail sector...
Record Lifetime Achievement Award - 2004
- April – Honorary Fellowship of the Society of Dyers and ColouristsSociety of Dyers and ColouristsThe Society of Dyers and Colourists is an international professional society, with headquarters in Bradford, United Kingdom, specializing in colour in all its manifestations. Founded in 1884, it was granted a Royal Charter of Incorporation in 1963...
- May – Forum Award from TextilWirtschaft Magazine
- September – Blueprint Designer behind the Brand National Portrait Gallery
- September – Prima Award 'Designer of the Decade'
- April – Honorary Fellowship of the Society of Dyers and Colourists
- 2005 – Hon DCLDoctor of Civil LawDoctor of Civil Law is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws degrees....
Northumbria UniversityNorthumbria UniversityNorthumbria University is an academic institution located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England. It is a member of the University Alliance.- History :... - 2009 – Hon Doctor of the University: Birmingham University
- 2010 – Designed a collection of casual clothing from Arsenal F.C. in the season 2010/2011
External links
- George Davies Official website
- GIVe website
- S'porter website
- red creative website
- 14 May 2008 Liverpool Echo interview
- 13th June 2009 Financial Times
- 20th June 2009 Drapers
Also see
- Per Una
- List of Marks & Spencer brands