28 Johnnie Boden

This former stockbroker was one of the first to create a quintessentially British middle class fashion lifestyle brand, which the likes of Joules and White Stuff have been targeting since. Boden describes his rise to the top like this.

“After five burglaries, one office dog, nine Christmas quizzes, 12 nights spent in the warehouse, one consignment of refugees arriving with a clothes delivery, four office moves, quite a few sense of humour failures, a few sackings (but thankfully not many), two venture capitalists, six awards, about 20 fantastically annoying customers (mostly related to me), we’re still here!”

With many competitors snapping at Boden’s heels, it is trying to diversify its range to stay competitive. A range for teenagers and a higher end sub-brand for women are among areas it has moved into to attract more customers.

With sales ahead 15% in the first half of the year to June, it is still finding growth where many retailers cannot and remains one of the more successful retailers to have entered America. Boden has some pretty high profile fans too including US first lady Michelle Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron’s wife Samantha. It is now testing new markets including Australia to expand its reach.