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Our Heritage
  • About Newsons
  • About Newsons
  • About Newsons
  • About Newsons

About Newsons

The foundations of Newson Trading as it stands today were built in 1949 when Roy Newson and Tony Osborne created a partnership based on Ford Street in Douglas. Before they went into business together they tossed a coin to determine who would have their name first in the business. Roy won the toss and so the business Newsons & Osbornes was created.

Unfortunately Roy and Tony went their separate ways and in 1955 Roy founded Newson Trading Company Ltd on the North Quay in Douglas. Having fought in the war Roy was well aware that the only real stock available during the rationed years after the war was government surplus. It was on this stock that the business began. Once the economy began to turn after the war, Roy began to access some of UK's biggest suppliers at the time including Wrangler, Libros, Langdon's in Liverpool and J.B. Hoyle who were big suppliers of Donkey Jackets and Duffle Coats.

Having initiated the beginnings of a strong business platform, it was perhaps Roy's audacity and charm that made him the successful businessman he was. One particular order of jeans from Libros had been missing for several months, during which Roy had phoned Libros copiously demanding to know where the jeans were. A keen golfer, Roy played off 3 down at Castletown Golf Club at the time. After one particular round Roy found himself in the 19th hole regaling the tale of the missing jeans to the barman. A few weeks went by and still no sign of the jeans. Roy again found himself in the bar at Castletown Golf Club only to find out from the barman that the Managing Director of Libros, the very supplier Roy was battling with for the jeans was enjoying a holiday in Castletown staying at Castletown Golf Club. Un-wavered by the bizarreness of the situation Roy quickly found the Managing Director within the hotel and told him exactly what he thought of the company and the situation he found himself. To Roy's surprise, the Managing Director completely agreed it was unacceptable service and they became good friends and built a strong business partnership.

In 1969 at the age of 17, Roy's son John Newson began working full time at the company. John took to the business world well and in 1979 he and Roy began to manage the company together. Affectionately known by the staff over the years as "Mr Wrangler" or "The Quay Hobbler" John began to move the company forward during the 1980s including accepting credit cards over the counter as payment and increasing the range of goods on offer.

Possibly the biggest change was the addition of Dr Marten Airwair shoes to the stock. John had the idea to become an Airwair wholesaler and Roy, blessed with unequivocal charm on the phone managed to persuade Airwair to make them one of only four wholesalers of Airwair shoes in the UK. This coup moved the company ahead of their competitors and secured a successful period of business.

Sadly Roy passed away in 2001, gravely marking the end of a successful partnership between father and son. John, always aided by devoted wife Dee, went on to add the prestigious outdoor brand Berghaus to the company's array of products and in the last 18 months Newsons have created an e-commerce sector under the guidance of John's son Sam. It is with this partnership that Newson Trading hope to create a sustainable successful business in online retail to steer the company well into the future.

featured new arrivals
brands we sell:
  • Berghaus
  • Wrangler
  • DeWalt
  • Dickies
  • Brasher
  • Regatta
  • Hi-Tec
  • AirWair Martens