Doug Putman

Douglas Robert Putman (born 25 March 1984) is a billionaire Canadian businessman, predominately trading in the retail sector across North America and Europe. Through his firm, Putman Investments, he owns numerous retail chains involving music, entertainment, toys and home goods.

Early life

Douglas Putman was born on 25 March 1984 and raised in Ancaster, Ontario. His family owned Everest Toys, which he managed as of 2017.

Career

Canada

In 2010, Putman began working for his family-owned Everest Toys.

In October 2014, Putman acquired Sunrise Records and began opening new locations.

In February 2017, it was announced that Putman had acquired the lease agreements from HMV Canada after it fell into receivership, converting these premises into Sunrise Records stores, massively increasing the number of Sunrise Records locations from 10 to 70.

In October 2020, Putman founded tea shop T. Kettle, rebranding 45 former DavidsTea locations. As of April 2024, only two locations remained open.

In August 2021, Putman announced he would buy Toys "R" Us Canada and Babies "R" Us Canada from Fairfax Financial.

In May 2023, Putman acquired 21 Canadian retail locations from Bed Bath & Beyond and turned them into Rooms + Spaces.

In total, 24 Rooms + Spaces locations were opened. Most stores were closed after being open for only a few months, as the leases were defaulted. As of February 2024, only two Rooms + Spaces locations remain open (at West Edmonton Mall and Brantford.). As of April 2024, Google reports that the Brantford location has also closed and moved to Hamilton as an outlet store.

In 2024, it was announced that HMV would return to Canada as a concession in Toys R Us locations.

In January 2025 it was announced that Putman had purchased women’s retailer Northern Reflections, which operates over 100 stores across canada.
Several months later Putman also purchased retailers Cleo and Rickis out of administration adding over 100 more stores to his apparel empire.

United States

In January 2020, Putman saved entertainment chain FYE from bankruptcy for $10 million USD.

United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium

On 5 February 2019, a number of HMV and Fopp locations were acquired by Sunrise Records, owned by Putman, for £883,000, saving 100 stores and 1,600 jobs. The company continues to trade under the HMV and Fopp brands. Putman would reopen HMV in Ireland in 2023. In August 2023, Putman attempted to save the British home goods retailer Wilko from administration, but was unable to form a rescue deal in time, with the retailer collapsing. In November 2023, HMV expanded into Belgium. In March 2024, Putman expressed interested in rescuing the British cosmetics chain, The Body Shop, from administration. In January 2025, Putman expressed interested in the high-street WHSmith stores that were being disposed by the business, though it was not mentioned whether the shops would continue as WHSmith under a franchise, be rebranded, or converted to something different.

Companies

Companies include:

* Putman Investments
** Sunrise Records
*** HMV
*** FYE
**** Sam Goody
**** Suncoast Motion Picture Company
**** Coconuts Music & Movies
** Toys "R" Us Canada
***Babies "R" Us Canada
*** Rooms + Spaces (defunct 2025)
**Northern Reflections
**Ricki’s
**Cleo
**Everest Toys
**Crazy Forts!
**Makin' Waves Marine
**Famous Toys
**T. Kettle

References

External links

Official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Putman, Doug
1984 births
Living people
Canadian chief executives
Businesspeople from Hamilton, Ontario