At the recent Linnworks conference (linn academy, if you missed it make sure you attend next year!), I was introduced to Barry Tong of Sol Retail by Tejas Dave of eBusiness Guru. Barry has such an interesting story to tell that this week I made the trip to Northampton to chat and find out more.
It’s an especially important moment in the story of Sol Retail, as Barry has just been to see King Charles III at Windsor castle – Sol Retail have been awarded The Kings Award for Enterprise in the 2025 International Trade category!
Starting out in 2012 with a tenner and a few listings, watch the video below to discover how Barry and his now wife Katy got started on eBay and grew the business into a multichannel, multinational enterprise, the partners that support them and how they moved from car booting for stock to winning partnerships with brands.
In this video you will find:
- 00:00 Introducing Barry Tong, CEO at Sol Retail
- 02:15 How Sol Beauty grew from a £10 start to £25 million turnover
- 05:49 Expanding from an eBay business to multiple marketplaces
- 08:27 The transition from wholesale to working with brands
- 11:47 Growing with technology
- 13:58 Winning the Kings Award for Enterprise
