John Bloom

John Bloom (8 November 1931 – 3 March 2019) was a British entrepreneur, best known for his role in the "Washing Machine Wars" of 1962–64 when he drastically reduced prices by direct sales that cut out the retailers. His company Rolls Razor made great inroads into the market but several manufacturers obtained injunctions to stop them selling at below the fixed retail price. His operation was also hit by a long postal strike and the withdrawal of a major backer, forcing the company into liquidation. Bloom was a controversial figure whose aggressive techniques shook up a complacent market but who gave new power to the consumer. His often-repeated motto "it's no sin to make a profit" became the title of his memoirs. Early life and education Bloom was born John Bloomstein in Hackney in London's East End on 8 November 1931 to Orthodox Jewish parents. Bloom's father, Sam, was born in Austria and was a tailor. His mother Dora was of Sephardic background. He attended Hackney Downs School which he left aged 16. RAF He then tried a number of jobs before National Service in the Royal Air Force. Bloom was initially posted to No.3 Radio School at RAF Compton Bassett near Calne, Wiltshire for training as a signalman. It was there that he started his first enterprise. He noticed that a local coach company, Cards Coaches of Devizes, provided coaches to the RAF under contract. On Saturday afternoons these took airmen from the base to London on 36-hour passes. With a friend who ran a coach company in Stoke Newington, Bloom undercut Cards Coaches by half. Cards took Bloom to court but the judge sided with Bloom who declared that "it's no sin to make a profit", which later became his motto. Bloom was later posted to Bletchley Park and then Bush House in the Aldwych, London, on the grounds that his mother was unwell; she died some years later from a form of multiple sclerosis. Washing machines After the RAF, he initially worked as a salesman for a company selling Dutch-made washing machines door-to-door. After a while, he decided to start his own company and tried to buy machines from the Netherlands. With little money or credit this was difficult, but eventually he made a deal with a factory in Utrecht. He advertised them under the name "Electromatic". They were twin-tub machines with a washer and separate spin-drier, priced at 39 guineas (equivalent to £40.95). This was about half the price of shop-bought machines.