"Our biggest store has 70 varieties of pushchair, but online we've got 500."
The third strand was adding Early Learning Centre. In a bold move, he paid £85 million for the toy retailer. It was a clever bolt-on, taking Mothercare into a new area but one that naturally followed its own. Early Learning products are now sold in Mothercare stores.
Fourth, the group has continued to expand overseas. Today, it has 1000 shops worldwide, of which 600 (450 Mothercare and 150 Early Learning) are abroad. In the UK the breakdown is 230 Mothercare and 170 Early Learning. Gordon opened the 1000th in Dubai in December. It's in 50 countries, with 80 branches in Saudi Arabia, 30 in Russia, 25 in India and two in China.
Given the lamentable track record of other British chains in foreign lands, this is an impressive achievement. What's the secret? "Babies are the same the world over," he says. "There's very little difference from one country to another in what we sell."
That's not strictly true, he checks himself. In Greece, the colour purple is regarded as funereal and pigs may look cute on outfits in some countries but can cause offence in others. Generally, though, he's right, babies are the same, people keep on having them and wanting to provide for them.
When he took charge, a disbelieving City sent the shares as low as 85p. Today, they're 407p. I haven't been able to write that about anyone in quite a while.
LIFE AND TIMES OF BEN GORDON
--Born: 1959
--Education: Epsom College; MBA from Insead
--First job: trainee engineer
--Key moves: project manager, Costain International; L'Oreal product manager; chief operating officer, WH Smith Inc; managing director, WH Smith Direct; managing director, Disney Store, Europe and Asia Pacific; chief executive, Mothercare
--Hobbies: sailing, skiing, tennis
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