Theo Paphitis acquired the stationery retailer Ryman in 1995 before becoming a Dragon on the British TV series Dragons' Den.
Ryman is a British retailer specialising in stationery, office supplies, cards and related products. Paphitis’s acquisition helped establish him as a prominent entrepreneur in British retail. He later built a broader retail portfolio and became widely recognised through television appearances and business commentary.
Paphitis joined Dragons' Den as an investor in the programme’s first series. His business style was often associated with retail experience, branding and practical questions about how a product would reach customers. That background made Ryman an important part of his public entrepreneurial profile.
Ryman is sometimes confused with WHSmith because both sell stationery and operate in the United Kingdom. They are separate businesses, however. Paphitis’s well-known stationery acquisition was Ryman, not WHSmith or Paperchase.