Carpetright founder Lord Harris of Peckham profiled

Like many a 15-year-old lad, Phil Harris – now Lord Harris of Peckham – dreamed of becoming a professional football player. But the young Arsenal fan had the responsibility of the family business thrust upon him at that tender age, when he inherited three South London carpet shops following the death of his father in 1957.

While he had to put his footballing dreams behind him, Harris took the retail sector by storm, building up his carpet empire into nearly 700 shops. Over the past 20 years he has opened a store every 10 days.

The retail veteran is famed for his no-nonsense, decisive style, and not just in retail. Harris applies this approach to his work with several charities and hospitals. He is founder of the Harris Federation, a charity of academies supporting young people in south London, of which he is immensely proud. “Our academies are considered among the best in the country,” says Harris.

Harris is also noted as an active supporter of and donor to the Conservative Party. Parliamentary papers show Harris helped organise a helicopter for former Tory leader William Hague during the Keep the Pound Campaign in 2000.

But it is as founder of market leader Carpetright that he is best known, and his philanthropic nature does not deter him from making difficult decisions in business. “If we have bad news, we give it,” says Harris. “We don’t run away from it. We face up to it.” 

There has been a lot of facing up to do in the punishing furniture and floorings sector. Carpetright – along with its rivals – has suffered in the recession. “I haven’t known it any harder in my life,” says Harris. “But while recessions are very difficult, if you’re a reasonable retailer you’ll come out stronger.”

Harris, boss of Carpetright for 21 years now, believes he is a “fair but tough” leader. He adds: “I like to see young people progress.”

And Harris has enjoyed watching his son Martin progress. Martin, group commercial director at Carpetright, is effectively being groomed to take the helm when his father retires – although ultimately it is the shareholders who will decide on his successor.

Harris says there are clear differences between father and son. “We’re both thinkers but we’re from different generations,” he says. “I don’t use a BlackBerry or the internet. But we’re good for one another.” 

Harris wants to remain at the helm for another three to five years, after which he may find time to indulge in his sporting passions, including tennis. He also shares his wife’s interest in dressage.

Friends say Harris has little time to indulge in hobbies at the moment. Friend and fellow retail peer Lord Kirkham, chairman of DFS, says: “Business is a bit of a religion to me, but with Phil it’s more than that. He doesn’t have any spare time. The guy can’t keep still.”

Kirkham values Harris’s directness. “He’s an absolutely genuine guy. There’s no hidden agenda. And he’s got a photographic memory,” laughs Kirkham. “He knows the square footage of all 600 stores. He knows the period of the lease, the landlord, the landlord’s rep. He doesn’t fit into any mould that I know.”

Harris says the saddest day of his life was when his former carpet chain Harris Queensway was taken over by the Lowndes Consortium in 1988. “I didn’t want to be taken over. I was very upset about it,” he says candidly.  

But life moves on, and so did Harris, who set up Carpetright the same year, and floated it in 1993. He may lament that he didn’t grow up to be a Thierry Henry or a Pat Jennings, but football’s loss is surely retail’s gain.