Charles Lettes

The History of Letts - 1796 to the present day The name Letts has been synonymous with diaries since the beginning of the nineteenth century. In 1796, the founder, John, established a stationery business in the arcades of London's Royal Exchange. The merchants and traders who frequently purchased stationery items from this shop needed a means of recording the movements of stock and controlling their finances. John Letts responded to the needs of his merchant customers in 1812 by creating the world's first Commercial Diary. The diary soon established itself as an essential feature of commercial life. The rapid refinement of the product, with the introduction of detailed information sections, meant that by the 1820's the first modern style diary ranges were published. Today, the company manufactures over 22 million diaries and is firmly established as the market leader supplying more than 40 per cent of all branded diaries in the UK and exporting to over 75 countries around the world. In the past few years, Letts have invested in machinery and fulfilment systems that allows them to offer a more personalised option. We now implement global contracts which include a web-based order system, offering bespoke products, and added product personalisation which are then fulfilled to all regions of the world. Over 300 staff are employed by Letts at a 250,000 sq ft factory which incorporates customer service, print, bindery, and fulfilment on one site. Throughout the years Letts has undergone a number of ownership changes and in August 2000 a Management Buyout team were successful in buying the company. Discussions commenced on October 2000 to acquire Filofax. In July 2001 Letts Holdings Ltd acquired the Filofax Group to become the Letts Filofax Group Ltd. LFG now comprises principally of two UK operations and eight overseas subsidiaries.