B&M chief proud of where it all began

ALL smiles . . . (back, from left) Mike Hamilton, of Commando Joe’s; William Lees-Jones, managing director of JW Lees Brewery; Simon Arora, from B&M Bargains; Mahdlo chairman Terry Flanagan and Councillor Jim McMahon. Front:Alisha O’Connor and Lucy Haynes from St Thomas’ School, Leesfield

THE chief executive of the B&M Bargains retail chain spoke about his career and family history in Pakistan and India during the latest business breakfast at Oldham’s Mahdlo youth centre.

Simon Arora explained how he developed the loss-making business with just 21 stores into a network of 400 outlets across the UK and Germany with sales exceeding £1.5billion.

His father’s family arrived “almost penniless” in New Delhi from Pakistan after separation in the Forties. They founded the Arora Enterprises shop.

Simon’s father moved to Manchester in the Sixties and set up a business in Cheetham Hill importing joss sticks, kaftans and other eastern goods. He later set up a cash-and-carry business and imported homewares and handicrafts.

“My dad worked hard so his kids could get a good education,” said Mr Arora.

His father died when Simon was 17, leaving his mother a 39-year-old widow with broken English.

Simon studied law at Cambridge and became the first person in his family to go to university before gainging business experience in London before returning to Manchester and joining his brother in business.

They founded Orient Sourcing Services, importing home furnishings for big UK retailers, and ran the Natural World business from 1995-2000..They sold it and later discovered the struggling Blackpool business B&M Bargains. The 21-store network was losing £3 million a year in the early 2000s and they bought it for £525,000.

Simon said: “Being a discount retailer during a recession was a good thing. The business has grown significantly and we have created 18,500 jobs in 10 years.”

B&M was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2014 for £2.7bn and became a FTSE-250 company.

Mr Arora said: “When my family attended the floatation I nearly broke into tears. I wanted my dad to be there and thought of my ancestors and my grandmother, who sold her wedding bangles to buy the first shop in New Delhi. We should grasp opportunities but never forget how it all started.”

Council leader Jim McMahon also gave a short speech about Greater Manchester devolution.

He was congratulated on his OBE by guests and Mahdlo chairman Terry Flanagan.