Dragons' Den investor Theo Paphitis acquired Ryman in 1995.
Ryman is a British stationery retailer. Paphitis bought the company during the 1990s and later expanded his retail interests through additional brands and acquisitions. His career made him one of the UK's most recognisable retail entrepreneurs before he became a Dragon on television.
Paphitis joined the Dragons' Den panel in the programme's second series and became known for his direct questioning and focus on practical retail fundamentals. His business background covers stationery, lingerie, greeting cards and other consumer sectors, making Ryman an important part of his public entrepreneurial profile.
Ryman is sometimes mixed up with larger office-supply chains such as Staples or historic British stationery names such as Paperchase. Those are separate businesses. The acquisition date refers to Paphitis's purchase of Ryman, not the company's original founding date or a later change in ownership.