Salisbury people can hear the true riches to rags story from Gerald Ratner on Thursday, April 23rd, at 6pm.
Gerald Ratner is a British household name and a well-known businessman. He is also a name associated with one of the business world’s biggest falls from grace. Gerald Ratner took over as CEO of the family jewellery chain in the mid-80s, becoming one of Britain’s best known businessmen. He transformed it from 130 stores with sales of £13m, to a public company with 2,500 stores and sales of over £1.2bn. By 1990, Ratner’s was the world’s largest jewellery retailer with profits in excess of £120m.
Following a high profile gaffe in which he described one of the products sold in the stores as ‘total crap’, he spent 18 months trying to do damage control but was eventually forced out of the business.
Nowadays Ratner runs a successful online jewellery business GeraldOnline which is turning over some £25 million.
Today Ratner’s gaffe is still famous as an example of the value of branding and image over quality. Such gaffes are now often referred to as Doing a Ratner!
Book your place now for £12 Inc. VAT which includes a Hog roast buffet.
Also at the Big Business Event will be James Lohan CEO of Mr & Mrs Smith, Craig Goldblatt - life coach, Thomas Power - online entrepreneur and Mike Southon Beermat Entrepreneur.
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