40 years of quality, innovation and excellence
From humble beginnings in Market Harborough in 1984, the Phineas of today is a global leader in retail display solutions. Over the past 40 years, Phineas has stood as a testament to innovation, quality and longstanding personal partnerships within the retail industry.
Trusted for 40 years
Phineas has always had roots in the manufacturing industry. In the company’s current form, our story began back in the 80s, manufacturing shoe hangers for the UK’s most well-known high street retail brands.
First to come on board were Marks & Spencer who came to us for a solution to hanging slippers. Our client base continued to grow when Next and Asda George came onboard with us shortly after.
Leading with quality and innovation
We’ve been focused on quality design for 40 years.
Just before the turn of the millennia, our commitment to excellence led us to expand our manufacturing operations to China, allowing us to serve our clients more efficiently while maintaining our high-quality standards.
A major milestone in the company came in 2001, when our founder and managing director, Dan Wright, designed the first Phineas boot clip. This first-of-its-kind product set the standard for footwear display solutions and established our reputation as industry pioneers. Dan continues to lead our design initiatives, and with the Phineas research and development studio looking busier than ever, we’re very excited for what’s to come in 2025!
A brand centred around people and planet
As well as our commitment to clients, we’re equally committed to our people. In spring 2008, to support our continued growth, account manager Dawn and marketing manager Laurence came on board. That was 16 years ago and they’ve been integral to the expansion of the business ever since!
In 2017, we established our Phineas HQ in Paintworks Bristol, creating a central hub for our worldwide operations. Most recently in 2024, we strengthened our global presence by opening a sales office in mainland China, bringing us closer to our manufacturing base and expanding Asian markets.
We’ve always believed that the way we do business should be as sustainable and ethical as the solutions we offer our clients. So since 2017 we’ve had an established partnership with Ripple Africa. Since launching our 1 carton sold = 1 tree planted initiative seven years ago, we were immensely proud to celebrate the planting of our one-millionth tree in Malawi through this partnership last year, marking a significant milestone in our pledge to offer sustainable retail manufacturing.
An exciting future awaits
As we look back at our 40-year journey, it’s important to remember that success isn’t just about celebrating past achievements but also looking ahead to the industry of tomorrow. The retail landscape has transformed dramatically since our founding, from the digital revolution to the global pandemic, to rapidly evolving consumer habits and expectations. As a business we’ve also had our fair share of challenges that we’ve grown to overcome; our plight for quality design has led to years of development for some of our products and changing attitudes towards materials has transformed the way we conduct business. Today’s high street retailers demand a forward-thinking approach!
That’s why we’re proud of what our experience and passion has taught us, the expertise we put to use every day in our personalised retail partner relationships. It’s not easy navigating the ever-changing challenges of the retail industry with confidence, and that’s why we’re always at the end of the phone.
Stay tuned for more insights about what we’ve learnt over the past 40 years, and how we’re putting that knowledge to good use to help inform retail leaders’ growth and innovation strategies for tomorrow.