All Ryman articles
Ryman is the UK’s leading high street stationery retailer and has been owned by retail entrepreneur and former Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis since 1995. It is one of four businesses now owned by Paphitis, which all share some ecommerce and IT resources. A typical Ryman store carries more than 5,500 different types of products across stationery, office supplies, furniture and storage, electricals and technology, and paper and printing.
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News
Ryman launches app to disrupt online greeting cards sector
Theo Paphitis, former Dragon’s Den star and owner of Theo Paphitis Retail Group, has launched the first Ryman mobile app as the retailer aims to “disrupt the online greeting cards industry”.
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Gallery
In pictures: How retail is marking King Charles III’s coronation
With King Charles III’s coronation approaching on May 6, Retail Week takes a look at what retailers are doing to gear up for the historic occasion.
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News
Exclusive: Tycoon Paphitis reports strong Christmas in store and brands’ return to profit
Entrepreneur Theo Paphitis, owner of Ryman, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue, revealed a Christmas sales uplift across the board and a return to the black for key brands.
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Analysis
PM for a day: What M&S, Co-op and AO’s leaders would do in the top job
As Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss challenge each other for leadership of the Conservative Party and the country, all eyes are on them for solutions to pressing problems such as the cost-of-living crisis.
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Interview
How Theo Paphitis went from sales assistant to tycoon, TV star and campaigner
As Theo Paphitis wins the AlixPartners Outstanding Contribution to Retail Award, the boss of Ryman, Boux Avenue and Robert Dyas reflects on his lifelong passion for retail
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News
Tycoon Paphitis urges rates reform as strong Christmas follows annual loss
Theo Paphitis has called on the government to “grasp the business rates nettle” as he gave an update on Christmas trading and Ryman posted its first annual loss in more than two decades of his ownership.
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News
Theo Paphitis’ Ryman appoints new boss to ramp up digital prowess
Stationery and office supplies retailer Ryman has hired former Staples executive Peter Birks as its new chief executive.
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Retail Navigator Analysis
Ryman (SWOT)
Ryman is owned by the Theo Paphitis Retail Group, which has raised Ryman’s profile, provided cross-brand opportunities, and provided it with a highly experienced management team led the group’s namesake as chairman, and group chief executive Kypros Kyprianou.
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Retail Navigator Analysis
Ryman (Strategy)
Ryman is the only significant high-street stationery specialist as its main competitor, Office Outlet, is based in out-of-town locations.
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Retail Navigator Analysis
Stores at Ryman
The Ryman store network was placed under review in response to the changed conditions in the wake of the pandemic, although management stressed that this could include the opening of new stores where appropriate.
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Retail Navigator Analysis
Technology strategy at Ryman
Ryman has spent the past couple of years improving its store technology, as well as its stock and merchandising systems. The wider group is investing in infrastructure and development of cross-brand multichannel propositions.
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Retail Navigator Analysis
Ryman (People)
Peter Birks was appointed CEO in 2021, charged with turning the business around in the changed environment following the pandemic, but exited the business just over a year after his appointment.
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Retail Navigator Analysis
Ryman (Overview)
Ryman is a stationery retailer that has been owned by retail entrepreneur and former Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis since 1995. It is one of four retail businesses owned by Paphitis, which all share some ecommerce and IT resources.
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Retail Navigator Analysis
Ryman (Financials)
As people returned to store there was some recovery in Ryman’s performance with total sales up 40.8% to £102.8m for the year to end-March 2022 (FY2021), up from £73.0m the previous year when sales had slumped 40.9%. Online sales growth softened as people returned to stores in FY2021, having surged 111% for FY2020 .
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Retail Navigator Analysis
Ecommerce at Ryman
Management at Ryman says the recent health crisis has acted as a “catalyst for change”. The temporary closure of its stores in lockdown periods over 2020 and 2021 has resulted in an increased focus on ecommerce, with “significant growth through this channel”.
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Retail Navigator Analysis
Customer and marketing at Ryman
Ryman targets both businesses and consumers and its main challenge is designing a proposition that caters for both these types of customer. Its strategy therefore needs to consider that businesses will generally order in bulk, while consumers are more price-sensitive.
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Retail Navigator Analysis
Supply chain at Ryman
Ryman operates a “state of the art” distribution centre and head office in Crewe. Capacity was added for Ryman following the opening of a new distribution centre for sister brand Robert Dyas.
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Retail Navigator Analysis
Ryman (Outlook)
Despite the “significant impact” of the pandemic on the Ryman store estate, the crisis has also acted as a catalyst for change, contributing to “the significant shift from stores to online sales”. And as people return to the high street as pandemic-related restrictions lifted, the retailer’s strategy is likely to focus on physical store estate too.
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News
Paphitis warns it’s ‘goodnight Vienna for physical retail’ without rates reform
Retail tycoon Theo Paphitis has urged chancellor Rishi Sunak to reform business rates or risk the “destruction” of bricks-and-mortar retail.