Nick Wheeler is Founder and Managing Director of Charles Tyrwhitt, the leading British Brand, and multi-award winning British multi-channel retailer, selling shirts and other clothing. In 2012 he won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year UK award.
Wheeler found the inspiration for Charles Tyrwhitt in 1986, while studying geography at Bristol University. His goal was to make the best shirts, using only the finest materials, at great value, and with unbeatable service. After two years with Bain & Co, strategy consultants, he went "full time" in November 1990. The fledgling business was financed by a foray into the classic car market, and started with just 8 shirts and 8 ties, in the first mail order only leaflet.
Success was rapid and the “leaflet” grew to four catalogues a year. This led to the opening of a shop on Jermyn Street in 1997, a website in 1998, and overseas expansion with a Paris store in 2001, and one on New York’s Madison Avenue in 2003. In May 2011, Charles Tyrwhitt opened a 4,000 square foot flagship store on Jermyn Street, complete with heritage tie room, a suit room, and the full Charles Tyrwhitt range of "proper" shirts, in all shapes and sizes. The company aims to be the first port of call for the Jermyn Street Dandy.
The product range has developed alongside business growth; from just shirts and ties to suits, shoes and a full casual offering. Wheeler sources only the finest materials from every corner of the globe, including local producers in Britain.
Today, the business continues to grow rapidly in the UK and internationally, with sales of over £150M forecast for 2013/14. Charles Tyrwhitt was rated 67th on Britain\'s top 100 private companies with the fastest-growing profits of 2012, and 145th in 2013, by the International Track 200, which ranks British companies with the fastest-growing international sales. The company has also been recognised for customer service, and at the recent European Call Centre and Customer Service Awards 2012, Charles Tyrwhitt won the award for Best online customer service.
Charles Tyrwhitt’s mission today remains true to Wheeler’s founding principles -to provide quality and value, and to deliver customer service with a passion that surpasses all competition.
Nick Wheeler is also a non-executive director of The White Company. He is married to Chrissie Rucker, founder of the White Company.
