Lord Kalms, the retail giant who built Currys, has died

Kalms built the Dixons electricals business – now Currys – into a retail powerhouse comprising a raft of brands, including PC World, and transformed the high street in the course of a retail career that began in the 1940s.

He was famous for his aggressive style of doing business as he presided over a string of mergers and acquisitions, floated the retailer on the stock exchange, and made products such as video recorders, stereos and computers consumer staples. After standing down from day-to-day involvement in the business he took up the honororary role of life president.

A Currys spokesperson said: “We may carry the name of Henry Curry, who sold his first bicycle in 1884, but Stanley was equally part of our founding story. From one camera shop in Southend opened by his father in 1937, he later helped build the modern Currys.

“While he wasn’t always an easy man – his standards were forbiddingly high, and his work ethic relentless – he was an incredible retailer. For 50 years, nobody spotted a trend faster, found a better supplier or negotiated harder. Of course, we’ve moved on since his day, but he laid the foundations of today’s market-leading Currys, and we’re in his debt. From all of us at Currys, our sincere condolences to his family.”

Former Dixons communications director Hamish Thompson posted on LinkedIn: “The UK’s retail sector — and retail leadership — owe a huge amount to Stanley’s talents, instincts and restlessness. He was a natural marketeer and encouraged professional bravery. Moreover, there isn’t a house in Britain that wasn’t in some way improved by decades of gadgetry that found their way to Dixons, Currys and PC World stores. There’s a corner of every British house that is forever Stanley.”

During the Kalms era, Dixons became the launchpad for a generation of retail industry leaders, such as former Argos chief executive Terry Duddy and ex-Kingfisher UK and Superdry boss Euan Sutherland.

Dixons bought Currys in 1984 and later became Dixons Carphone before the business was renamed Currys in 2021.

Kalms was knighted in 1996 for services to electricals retailing and was made a life peer in 2004.

A prominent member of the Jewish community and supporter of Israel, Kalms was also a former treasurer of the Conservative Party.