Houlden Group Welcomes Two New Members
July 2012 – The Houlden Group welcomed two more new members to its Annual Summer Meeting in East Sussex, England – Terence Lett of Oxfordshire, and Pleasance & Harper of Herefordshire.
Terence Lett of Witney, Oxfordshire, is a family run business founded by Terry Lett in 1986.
With partner, Karen, Lett grew the business and in 1996 moved to a prime site on Witney High Street.
Later he purchased Bakers Jewellers, a rival at the time, investing heavily in an extensive refurbishment and modernisation of the store.
In 2011 Lett purchased the freehold of his own store and is currently overseeing expansion plans for a major refit.
Lett said that “Karen’s keen eye for product and ‘the next thing’ is invaluable to the growth of the business as she is able to spot the changing trends for fashion jewellery and watches and ensure we have the latest stock.”
In joining the Houlden Group Lett said “we can benefit from working alongside likeminded proactive people and as we push further forward we see this as an integral part of our aim to be one of the finest jewellers in Oxfordshire.”
Founded in 1879 Pleasance & Harper is still in the same family that dates back four generations and is one of the UK’s longest established independent family run businesses.
Managing Director Mark Harper, great grandson of the founder, carries on the tradition for exceptional quality, value and service.
Based in Hereford City Centre, Pleasance & Harper has two stores: one is a contemporary shop stocking many of the familiar fashion jewellery and watch brands.
The other store is a high end boutique specialising in top watch brands from Omega, Bell & Ross, Tag Heuer, U-Boat, Mont Blanc, Ball, Longines, Links of London and many more.
Harper says about joining Houlden “we have come as far as we can and believe the networking and tremendous support Houlden offers will help us take our business to the next level.”
Stuart Laing, CEO of Houlden, said, “It is fantastic to have these two excellent retailers join us.
“Our aim is to offer our members every support possible to grow their businesses and I am sure they will benefit greatly from membership and enjoy themselves in the process.”
