Gerald Ratner is by no means the only businessman to have put his foot in it. Over the years, many have made comments that have landed them in hot water. Some were simply trying to be honest and to address concerns expressed by others. Others were using shorthand descriptions or terms acceptable to specific audiences that could be interpreted differently by the general public. The moral of the story is don't say anything remotely contentious on a slow news day – you never know who might be listening.
- Ikea's group chief executive Anders Dahlvig admitted to the Financial Times in 2001 that UK stores offered "appalling" weekend service levels thanks to being victims of their own success. Other papers gleefully fell upon his comments as proof that shopping at Ikea was a good way to ruin your weekend.
- Allen Roses, vice president of genetics at GlaxoSmithKline, told a scientific meeting in London in 2003 that over 90 per cent of drugs work on only 30-50 per cent of people. Glaxo said that reports misrepresented it, the pharmaceutical industry and the whole science of pharmacogenetics. But it didn't deny he had made the comments.
- Barclays chief executive Matt Barrett told the Commons Treasury Committee in 2003 that he did not borrow on credit cards because they were "too expensive". He also admitted that he tells his children "not to pile up debts on their credit cards". However, the gaffe hasn't harmed his career as he was promoted to chairman in 2004.
- In 2002 Camelot chief executive Dianne Thompson made a speech to marketing executives in which she said that punters would be lucky to win a tenner. Camelot tried to wriggle out of it by arguing that her remarks had been taken out of context and that she was addressing the perception that £10 prizes weren't worth winning.
- Top Man own brand director David Shepherd gave an interview to trade magazine Menswear in 2001 in which he characterised his customers as "hooligans or whatever" and said that they only wore a suit for their first interview or court appearance. His bosses defended him by saying that his comments reflected the very laddish elements of the brand.
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