How Northampton couple went from clearing nan’s house out to multi-million pound beauty business

A couple from Northampton who own a multi-million pound health and beauty retail business started out selling items such as ornaments and DVDs.

Barry Tong’s grandmother died from asbestos poisoning back in 2010 and, alongside his mother and then-girlfriend, Katy, he had to clear out her bungalow fairly quickly.

Barry’s mum did not want to throw away all her mum’s belongings so soon. Instead Katy suggested listing a few things on eBay.

Despite Barry’s ‘look of horror’ at Katy’s suggestion, the now-married couple, who live in Flore, did set up a £10 eBay account, which has now grown into multi-million pound beauty retailer called Stephensons.

Barry said: “We turned what should have been going in a skip into £2,000.

“I was then made redundant from my job and Katy moved in with me.

“As everyone who has moved in with someone knows, the cushions came in and all my stuff went, so that all went on eBay too.

“We just knew there was an opportunity there.”

As their selling venture began to grow, Barry and Katy, who now have two children, started to attend local car boot sales to buy stock that they could then sell online, before starting to use wholesalers, which is when the health and beauty idea began.

From then, the selling expanded further and the couple could not get the products out quick enough.

After being approached to sell on Amazon, the couple turned their venture into a limited company in 2012, named after Barry’s grandmother’s maiden name, Stephensons, is also known as Sol Retail.

42-year-old Barry added: “We started working with brands and started to build a brand portfolio.

“By 2013 we were selling with Amazon all over Europe and we started moving into America too.

“Now we work with more than 100 brands, as well as owning and having shares in brands.

“We represent brands on third party websites, like Amazon and eBay. We work with them on what they like.

“We have never taken out a loan, or an investment, or even used an overdraft.

“It all started with a £10 eBay account. We wanted to make that £10 into £10 million and we’re on track to do that this year."

The company, which now employs 22 people, is still expanding and is in the process of moving its offices to Swan Valley to allow more space at the warehouse in Far Cotton.

But prior to this venture, neither Barry or Katy had any experience in the beauty industry or in business and they had to take a huge risk to get where they are today.

“We never set out to make a company out of this,” Barry added.

“We were just selling some of my nan’s stuff and we started with DVDs at the beginning.

“It just grew and grew and in 2013 I left my job and the business became full-time.

“That was the biggest decision of our lives and a huge risk, but it has changed our lives unbelievably and we have never looked back since.

“I now work for myself, which has its pros and cons, and as we now have two children, Katy has been able to be at home with them when she wants and we wouldn’t have had that chance before.”

The company has also been able to adapt during the pandemic as Barry and Katy prepared well and have made sure their workers are safe.

The couple even donated £10,000 of hand sanitisers to their local community in Flore.

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