Ralph Halpern, who has died aged 83, was the most flamboyant member of a group of retail and property tycoons who flourished, and then mostly fell, during the 1980s when Margaret Thatcher was prime minister. This was a remarkable period of British entrepreneurial endeavour, when a handful of talented, greedy and fearless businessmen changed the face of shopping in Britain.
His brands, Top Shop (which became Topshop), Principles, Top Man and several others within the Burton Group, became legendary in the industry. At its peak in the mid-80s, Burton Group was taking one pound in every eight spent on clothing in Britain – only Marks & Spencer could claim more. Yet, within a few years, the group had passed its apex – its share of the market was in decline and in 1990 Halpern was the victim of a boardroom coup.
