Retailers
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Business people engaged in retailing purchase goods in large quantities from manufacturers and resell them to end customers at a profit. Retailing which is one of the most important links in the supply chain is also a fast growing segment of the economy. Retailing industry provides the customers a convenient way to shop for almost everything: clothes, shoes, cutlery, food items, appliances, and electronics. Aspiring entrepreneurs eager to manage their own business are often attracted by the retail industry as it offers a wide variety of business options to choose from. Some businessmen operate store-based retailing in fixed point-of-sale locations like convenience stores, department stores, supermarkets, etc. Non-store retailing which includes online stores, television shopping, vending machines, mail orders, etc. which also offer an array of lucrative opportunities. Retail ownership can be highly rewarding, but it is also very challenging. These businessmen have to coordinate the activities related to marketing, management, human resources, sales and accounting themselves. They should possess high self-confidence and the ability to take risks to embark in this direction. Individuals who can perform efficiently in high pressure environment and are willing to put in irregular hours of work have it in them to become successful retail owners. Read on to know about the life and works of various famous retail owners from all over the world.
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1
Jeff Bezos(The Founder & Executive Chairman of Amazon)
Birthdate: January 12, 1964
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
The founder and CEO of the multi-national technology company Amazon, Jeff Bezos is the wealthiest man in the world. Jeff, who left his lucrative job at an investment firm to fulfil his entrepreneurial ambition, also owns the newspaper, The Washington Post, and its affiliate publications along with a spaceflight company, Blue Origin.
2
Jack Ma(Co-founder and Former Executive Chairman of 'Alibaba Group')
Birthdate: September 10, 1964
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hangzhou, China
Jack Ma’s journey from being a tourist guide to establishing the Chinese e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba is inspirational. Initially rejected by various companies, he is the second-wealthiest person in China as of 2020. After quitting his post of executive chairman of Alibaba in 2019, he focused on philanthropy and environmental causes.
Birthdate: March 29, 1918
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kingfisher, Oklahoma
Died: April 5, 1992
Sam Walton, founder of the retail chain Walmart and Sam's Club, was the richest man in the U.S. at one point. He made Walmart the world’s largest private employer. One of Time’s 100 most influential people of the 20th Century, he had also earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Birthdate: February 16, 1909
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Manchester, New Hampshire, United States
Died: July 14, 1998
Richard McDonald was an entrepreneur who co-founded the fast-food company McDonald's with his brother, Maurice. Their father ran a food stall. As young men, Richard and Maurice took over their father’s business and redesigned the restaurant. The restaurant was highly successful, and the brothers began franchising their system. The first McDonald's restaurant has now been converted into a museum.
Birthdate: November 3, 1901
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Herzogenaurach, Germany
Died: September 6, 1978
Adolf Dassler was a German cobbler-turned-entrepreneur who established the German sportswear company Adidas. His older brother, Rudolf Dassler, established Puma. The two brothers initially operated the Dassler Brothers Sports Shoe Factory. Adolf was a pioneer in designing athletic shoes and in selling them through endorsements from athletes.
6
Jim Walton(Businessman and the Heir to World's Largest Retailer 'Walmart')
Birthdate: June 7, 1948
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Newport, Arkansas, United States
A member of the Walton family—the world’s richest family— James Walton has inherited retail giant Walmart along with his siblings. A graduate from the University of Arkansas, the billionaire is also the chairman of Arvest Bank and heads newspaper company, Community Publishers Inc. He played football during his younger days and leant to pilot planes. He has four children.
Birthdate: December 18, 1948
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: United States of America
8
Paul Tudor Jones
(Stockbroker, Financier)
Birthdate: September 28, 1954
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Memphis
9
Orville Redenbacher
(Businessman)
Birthdate: July 16, 1907
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Brazil, Indiana, United States
Died: September 19, 1995
Birthdate: October 27, 1944
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
11
Dickson Poon(Hong Kong Businessman and Executive Chairman of ‘Dickson Concepts’)
Birthdate: June 19, 1956
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: British Hong Kong
Dickson Poon is a Hong Kong businessman who serves as the executive chairman of Dickson Concepts (DCIL), a Hong Kong based company, which owns companies, such as S. T. Dupont and Harvey Nichols. Also a philanthropist, Poon has donated money to colleges and universities. During the 2015 New Year Honours, Poon was knighted for his services to charity and business.
Birthdate: March 4, 1926
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Died: September 6, 2018
13
Bernard Marcus
(Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: May 12, 1929
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
14
Omar bin Laden
(Saudi-Arabian Author, Artist, Businessman, and Cultural Ambassador)
Birthdate: March 1, 1981
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Omar bin Laden is a Saudi-Arabian author, artist, businessman, and cultural ambassador. Omar, who has been living in France for several years now, achieved popularity when he made contributions to a book titled Growing Up bin Laden. The book, which was published in 2009, recollects his time with his father Osama bin Laden.
Birthdate: August 16, 1954
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Bikaner, India
Indian business magnate Radhakishan Damani founded the hypermarket chain DMart and owns Bright Star Investments. Damani initially managed his ball-bearing business, which he later quit to become a stock-market broker. He was once the largest individual shareholder of HDFC Bank. He holds stakes in sectors ranging from cement to tobacco.
16
Terence Conran
(English Designer, Restaurateur and Founder of 'Design Museum')
Birthdate: October 4, 1931
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England
Died: September 12, 2020
Best known as the founder of the Design Museum in London, British designer and restaurateur Terence Conran had begun a furniture studio while still a student. He later launched popular interior and furniture design firms such as the Conran Design Group and Habitat. He has also penned several books.
17
Karl Albrecht
(Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: February 20, 1920
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Essen, Germany
Died: July 16, 2014
18
Chip Wilson
(Businessperson)
Birthdate: 1955 AD
Birthplace: San Diego, California, United States
19
Jérôme Kerviel
(Trader, Banker)
Birthdate: January 11, 1977
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cairo
20
James Cash Penney
(Businessman)
Birthdate: September 16, 1875
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hamilton, Missouri, United States
Died: February 12, 1971
21
Louis Bacon
(Entrepreneur known for founder and chief executive of Moore Capital Management)
Birthdate: July 25, 1956
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Birthdate: July 31, 1867
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died: October 18, 1966
23
William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme
(Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: September 19, 1851
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bolton, England
Died: May 7, 1925
Birthdate: March 18, 1944
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Roseville, Australia
25
Reginald Lewis
(Businessman, Writer)
Birthdate: December 7, 1942
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died: January 19, 1993
26
John Meriwether
(Banker, Financier)
Birthdate: August 10, 1947
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Chicago
27
Karen Finerman
(Journalist)
Birthdate: February 25, 1965
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: California
28
Richard Dennis
(Floor trader)
Birthdate: January 9, 1949
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chicago
29
Boaz Weinstein
(financier)
Birthdate: 1973 AD
Birthplace: United States of America
30
Max Factor Sr.
(American makeup designer)
Birthdate: September 15, 1877
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Łódź, Poland
Died: August 30, 1938
Known for his pioneering contribution to the make-up industry in Hollywood and for his revolutionary products such as Supreme Greasepaint, Max Factor Sr. was a Polish Jew, who moved to the US in the early 1900s. He founded his own brand of cosmetics, popularized the word “make-up,” and won an honorary Academy Award.
31
Henry Lehman
(merchant, banker, businessperson)
Birthdate: 1822 AD
Birthplace: Rimpar
Died: November 17, 1855
32
Carroll Rosenbloom
(American football player)
Birthdate: March 5, 1907
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died: April 2, 1979
33
Leon Leonwood Bean
(Inventor)
Birthdate: October 13, 1872
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Greenwood, Maine, United States
Died: February 5, 1967
34
Gerry Harvey
(Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: September 18, 1939
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Springwood, Australia
35
Madman Muntz
(Businessperson)
Birthdate: January 3, 1914
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Elgin, Illinois, United States
Died: June 21, 1987
Birthdate: 1965
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Greater Manchester, England
37
Solomon Lew
(Businessperson)
Birthdate: March 22, 1945
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brunswick, Melbourne, Australia
38
Ted Ngoy
(Former owner of a chain of doughnut shops in California)
Birthdate: 1942 AD
Birthplace: Cambodia
Birthdate: March 11, 1952
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Panama City
Ricardo Martinelli is a Panamanian businessman and politician.From 2009 to 2014, he served as the president of Panama and his presidency witnessed steady economic growth in the country. Martinelli came up with several measures to decrease poverty. He increased the minimum wage and introduced measures to tackle unemployment.
Birthdate: October 12, 1803
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Lisburn, North Ireland
Died: April 10, 1876
Scottish-Irish businessman Alexander Turney Stewart initially aspired to be a Presbyterian minister, before deviating to teaching and then eventually stepping into business. He began with trading textile and then launched a dry goods business, A. T. Stewart & Company, in New York, which he later expanded into an empire.
41
Aaron Montgomery Ward
(Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: February 17, 1843
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New Jersey, United States
Died: December 7, 1913
42
John Gregg
(Businessperson)
Birthdate: 1909 AD
Birthplace: Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Died: 1964 AD
43
John Graunt
(Statistician)
Birthdate: April 24, 1620
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London, England
Died: April 18, 1674
44
Suhail Bahwan
(Businessperson)
Birthdate: 1939 AD
Birthplace: Sur, Oman
46
Potter Palmer
(Businessman)
Birthdate: May 20, 1826
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Albany County, New York, United States
Died: May 4, 1902
47
Timothy Eaton
(Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: 1834
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland
Died: January 31, 1907
Timothy Eaton has gone down in history as the founder of one of Canada’s largest retail giants, Eaton’s. Initially a general store apprentice in Ireland, he later sailed to Canada, where he opened his own store, introducing cash sales, fixed price, and better work conditions for retail employees.
48
Richard N. Cabela
(Entrepreneur)
Birthdate: October 8, 1936
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Chappell, Nebraska, United States
Died: February 17, 2014
49
Katie Page
(Chief Executive Officer)
Birthdate: 1956 AD
Birthplace: Mareeba, Australia
Birthdate: April 20, 1905
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Cedars, Dallas, Texas, United States
Died: January 22, 2002