Theo Paphitis: knows buying.

Behind the scenes at Britain’s retail giants, buying teams have the power to create trends, make or break careers and decide exactly what the public buys.

Coming soon on BBC Two, Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis presents The Buying Game. The new 7 x 60-minute series, produced by Maverick Television, goes behind closed doors at some of the biggest names in UK retail to expose the secret world of buying for the first time.

British public

In a twist, these buyers won’t be turning to their trusted suppliers for the ‘next big thing’. Instead, they’ll be gambling on the talents of the British public in their quest to find the best and most innovative new products. For the fledgling designer, this is a chance in a lifetime.

Retailer Paphitis knows and loves the business of buying. He’ll be at the helm of this ambitious project: demystifying shop talk and revealing the competitive inner workings of retail, from prototype to product development to the finished article on the shop floor.

Emerging markets

Paphitis is also presenting Theo’s Adventure Capitalists on BBC Two later this month. This new three-part series examines the risks and rewards for British companies looking to expand in three of the world's most dynamic emerging markets – India, Vietnam and Brazil.

These markets are weathering the global recession better than the economies of the West. If Britain is to remain a major player in world trade, it is essential to establish firm business interests now.

In each film, Paphitis follows the progress of three British companies considering expanding in these high-growth markets. Viewers will experience international trade through the eyes of successful companies, and explore the role of Britain in the global economy. Some of the companies are household names, while others are based on fresh inventions, retail success and intellectual property.

Supporting material

Meanwhile, the Open University Business School will support a website providing in-depth material on high-growth markets and international trade.

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