How word of mouth built a £5bn retail powerhouse (part two)

Simon Arora shares how speed resilience and supply chain mastery turned B&M into a retail powerhouse

[Image credit: Nigel Kirby/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images]

This is the second part of a two-part interview with Simon Arora. Listen to the first part here.

It’s time for the second episode in our story about how B&M went from a small discount chain in the north of England to one of the biggest retailers in the UK. In this episode, we look at B&M’s transition from a promising medium-sized business to a FTSE 100 giant. This is a transition that many businesses fail to make. For B&M, it was about keeping your focus despite constant distractions.

But it was also about learning and evolving - in terms of strategy and people. We also talk to Simon Arora about why he stood down as B&M’s chief executive and what may come next for him and the business.

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Author

Graham Ruddick

Date

06 January 2026