PrettyLittleThing CEO Umar Kamani reveals he will donate his ENTIRE month’s salary to struggling small businesses affected by coronavirus pandemic
- The businessman behind the multi-million pound clothing brand, 31, took to Instagram live on Wednesday, during day three of the UK-wide lockdown
- He pledged his support for businesses battling to survive in the midst of the quarantine
- He urged others to throw their weight behind small companies
- He said: ‘I am speaking to you all today, as Umar Kamani, not Umar Kamani the CEO of PrettyLittleThing’
- He added: ‘I am going to donate my salary in March to small businesses who need a bit of help to get through. I recognise the importance of coming together at this time and helping other businesses’
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PrettyLittleThing CEO Umar Kamani will donate his entire month’s salary to struggling small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The businessman behind the multi-million pound clothing brand, 31, took to Instagram live on Wednesday, during day three of the UK-wide lockdown to pledge his support for businesses battling to survive in the midst of the quarantine, and urged others to throw their weight behind companies.
He said: ‘I hope that you and your families are all safe and well. I want to start off by saying, I am speaking to you all today, as Umar Kamani, not Umar Kamani the CEO of PrettyLittleThing.
Good deed: PrettyLittleThing CEO Umar Kamani will donate his entire month’s salary to struggling small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic
‘It is important for me, as a human being, to recognise the current situation we find ourselves in and remind you all that I was once a small business owner who faced my own struggles and now, it is really important for me to help where I can whether that be through a donation or mentoring small businesses as they navigate through this extremely difficult time.
He added: ‘I am extremely proud of the business that I have built with my amazing team and with the support and loyalty of our millions of customers and I want to do my little bit to show support to other businesses that are really struggling through no fault of their own.
‘I would ask all businesses no matter how big or small to rally together and support each other through this time of need. It is so important now more than ever, I offer my support where I can.
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‘So, to start with I am going to donate my salary in March to small businesses who need a bit of help to get through. I recognise the importance of coming together at this time and helping other businesses.
‘It’s really important for me to spread some kindness throughout this time so I am asking all of you tuning in right now to tag any small businesses on my latest Instagram post who may need a helping hand in these difficult times and my team and I will work through all the requests you make to select the businesses I think I can help most.’
Umar, from Manchester, is the son of billionaire Boohoo founder Mahmud Kamani.
In 2012, Umar and his brother Adam co-founded PrettyLittleThing after witnessing the phenomenal success of Boohoo.
The Kamani family has a rags to riches back story, with Indian immigrant Mahmud managing to grow his market stall into a multi-billion pound business.
Kind: The businessman behind the multi-million pound clothing brand, 31, took to Instagram live on Wednesday, during day three of the UK-wide lockdown to pledge his support for businesses battling to survive in the midst of the quarantine, and urged others to throw their weight behind companies
He said: ‘I hope that you and your families are all safe and well. I want to start off by saying, I am speaking to you all today, as Umar Kamani, not Umar Kamani the CEO of PrettyLittleThing’
Continuing his speech, he said: ‘Our lives have been turned upside down by this terrible disease, we’re all worried about our families, friends and loved ones. None of us could have anticipated the situation we all find ourselves in and the awful impact it is having on so many people.
‘I know some of you may have questions about the fact that we are continuing to operate and so I want to be clear that we will only continue to do this whilst it is safe to do so and permitted by the Government.
‘My team are like an extension of my family and I wouldn’t do anything to put them at risk. So whilst most of them are now working from home, including our studio team, for those in our distribution centre we are doing everything to comply with the social distancing measures to keep them safe and happy. We will only continue to operate whilst we can keep our team safe and look after those within the PLT family.
‘As you know, I run a social initiative at PLT called PrettyLittleWishes and I have connected with so many customers and supporters of PrettyLittleThing throughout this time.
‘I know this isn’t going to change the world, I just wanted to do something good in these desperate times and make a little difference where I can.
He went on: ‘It is important for me, as a human being, to recognise the current situation we find ourselves in and remind you all that I was once a small business owner who faced my own struggles’
‘Please look after yourselves and keep your families safe.’
Mahmud’s father Abdullah moved the family to Kenya, where many Indian families had prospered under the British Empire.
Mahmud was born there in 1964, but four years later the Kamanis were forced to flee to Britain by increasing unrest and draconian employment laws that favoured native Kenyans.
They settled in Manchester, where the entrepreneurial Abdullah sold handbags on a market stall to feed his family, before investing in property and founding the wholesale textile business Pinstripe, where Mahmud worked, using family connections in India to source garments.
He added: ‘Please look after yourselves and keep your families safe’
By the early 2000s, the firm was selling nearly £50 million of clothing a year to High Street names such as New Look, Primark and Philip Green’s Topshop.
Spotting the potential in the growth of the internet, Mahmud set up his online retailer in 2006 that would deliver their own-branded fashion at rock bottom prices, starting out with just three staff and operating out of a Manchester warehouse.
Today it has a workforce of more than 2,900, and celebrity advocates including everyone from Little Mix to Tallia Storm.
The tweets come as the UK prepares to enter its fourth day of lockdown in a bid to curb COVID-19 infections.
He said: ‘It is really important for me to help where I can whether that be through a donation or mentoring small businesses as they navigate through this extremely difficult time’
On Monday the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson addressed the nation and told Britain’s 66million people they must stay at home unless they are front-line workers, need to shop infrequently to buy food or medicine or are helping a vulnerable person.
He also said one form of exercise was permitted each day, such as dog-walking – but not sunbathing or merely sitting outside.
Mr Johnson ordered the immediate closure of all non-essential shops and threatened people with fines or even arrest if they did not ‘stay at home’.
The Prime Minister’s shutdown will last for a minimum of three weeks and the UK’s new state of emergency is unprecedented in modern history.
The UK’s coronavirus death toll stands at 437 Wednesday with more than 8,200 cases of the virus.
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