David Reiss

Who is David Reiss?

David Reiss is the current owner of the British global fashion chain Reiss, which originated from a store in Bishopsgate that David inherited from his father Joshua. The original store was started by David's granduncle Samuel Reiss, who was an immigrant from a south-eastern Polish shtetl in Radomyśl Wielki. In London, David's grandfather's family became members of the orthodox Raleigh Close.

David took over his father's gentlemen's outfitters on the corner of Bishopsgate and Petticoat Lane in the City of London, in 1971, when he was in his 20s. The brand is not a family-run business as such. Reiss's son is a director at HSBC, and his daughter works for the chain in the United States. David's eldest daughter was involved in the business for many years before leaving in her 30s to concentrate on her children. Reiss lives with his wife in Hampstead, London.

Today Reiss is the last big owner-founder entrepreneur left in British retail. Reiss has a target to open 260 stores around the world, including 100 franchise stores, and 50 stand-alone stores in Europe and the United States. The debut in New York City proved a success, recouping the money Reiss invested in just one year, which made Reiss continue pursuing his international plans and in 2007 the retailer boasted eight more US stores, including stores in Boston, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. Additional stores opened in Short Hills, New Jersey and Boca Raton, Florida.