Maurice and Michael Bennett

Maurice and Michael Bennett are renowned retail industry entrepreneurs.

After successfully building up and selling Bennett Cameras to Dixons in the 1960s, they founded Warehouse, the first really successful British own-brand, design-led, fashion retailer, which they sold to Freeman’s in 1986.

In 1991 they founded Oasis Stores, developing the business from £1m turnover to a hugely successful, publicly listed fashion retailer.  Along the way they bought Coast - a brand developed from £2m turnover when it was bought, to almost £100m today.  In 2002, Maurice and Michael Bennett successfully exited Oasis Group when PPM Ventures took the company private. 

In 2003 Maurice and Michael took control of Phase Eight, turning around and growing the company and selling it to Barclays Private Equity in 2005, producing a seven times return on investment for themselves and their partners. 

Michael and Maurice are well known and loved in the industry and were awarded the prestigious Lifetime achievement award at the Drapers Gala Dinner in 2006.

Today, the Bennetts serve as joint chairmen of Long Tall Sally and Kookai UK having been the principle investors in their acquisition. They are also investors in, and Directors of, Retail Profile Europe Ltd. (and its subsidiary, Retail Products Ltd.), the leading UK operator of in-mall Retail Merchant units for impulse and seasonal merchandise.