News and Views

2011-12-12T15:35:00.001Z

International is the new Ecommerce - 12th December 2011

Having worked in Retail Executive Search for a number of years we pay particular notice to where the retailers are investing and given the lack lustre performance of UK market over the last 2-3 years, it is perhaps not surprising that the hot topic currently overtaking E-commerce is ‘International’. We are seeing an increasing focus on international business development and, as a result, a keen interest in candidates that have experience expanding and supporting a brand across the globe in a variety of retail diciplines

In the last 6 months there are been several announcements by retailers of newly appointed International directors, Cath Kidston, Reiss, The Dune Group and TM Lewin to name but a few. TM Lewin has openly stated that international sales are a critical part of their 3-pronged strategy for growth and fully expect that they will match UK sales within 4 years. They are not alone in those ambitions.

For those who have not acquired international experience as yet, it would be a good idea to start to build this into your career plan, whether you work in Marketing, Ecommerce, Sales or Operations, you need to be aware that early indications show you will be at a huge advantage if you can acquire these skills. Obviously being able to travel and be away from home will be important for this type of challenge but the rewards both holistically and financially can be great.

There are a variety of routes that both our clients and the wider market place are taking to grow an international presence including franchise, JV’s, Wholesale, Concession, online and indeed some retailers are risking opening company owned stores.

Where would you start? Well to begin, I would recommend that you research the international landscape. Who are the major international players in your sector? Which UK brands have recently decided to tiptoe abroad? How do they sell their product and which markets suit their offering?

If your current company already has an international presence make sure you register a very definite interest in becoming involved and be ready to join new companies in the future who will offer you exposure to the global market. EG

2011-11-01T15:38:00.015Z

Become the missing link

In-between jobs? Why interim can be the solution - 1st November 2011

Since 2008, the number of senior retailers who have found themselves unemployed has sadly steadily increased.

The immediate reaction of those recently unemployed, not surprisingly, is to immediately start their search for another permanent position ideally at the same level of seniority and we give them every support to enable them to do this. Whilst there are successes the plain truth of it is, the senior roles are harder and fewer to find. Companies are watching every penny and try to avoid taking on an expensive permanent head, often by promoting internally or maybe turning to an interim if the right person is available.

Our advice would be that right from the beginning of your job search you need to be open to opportunities for interim work. Avoid thinking that this route will jeopardise your opportunities for permanent work, rather the opposite is true. Potential employers much prefer to see that you have been actively engaged in finding and delivering on projects rather than enforced idleness.

A good example of how this approach can be successful is retailer Paul Currie who completed several interim assignments after leaving Hamleys as COO in 2009. He admits he has enjoyed the experience of working for several different businesses as interim work enabled him to work in new sectors and product areas. Experiencing many different working cultures has made it easier for him to fit into his new permanent role as the Global Retail Sales Director for Molton Brown. “As a consultant I was viewed as being much more objective as I had no vested interests, and because of that my opinions were given greater weight”.

A word of warning however, Paul states, “As a interim consultant I found that I was off the radar of the well known global search firms as they target companies rather than people, I had to make sure I made the effort to maintain visibility through constant communication”. AY

2011-10-03T15:43:00.002+01:00

Alexon- not enough to entice - 3rd October 2011

We have all been watching the Alexon Group struggle for some time now, driven by some force to will customers into behaving against type and be enthusiastic about their ageing brands. Re-invention has been on the cards with each news alert about the group over the last couple of years but if things have changed behind the scenes I'm not sure the customers have noticed en masse.

Much trendier options are available for ladies of a certain age and I'll be frank I'm not keen to relive the days when I wore Dash tracksuits (cringe). The real point of interest in my eyes is how the 800 odd concessions in the likes of John Lewis and Fenwick will change. Brands such as Phase Eight and Kew159 have the products to soak up the space with both making vast improvements to their ranges over the last year.
The Alexon Group will no doubt also look at the viability of the 80 standalone stores they have. Interestingly their online performance has improved under the recent appointment of Group Ecommerce Director Giles Delafeld who is fresh from turning around the online performance of Blacks Leisure. EG

2011-08-16T17:31:00.024+01:00

The impact of the riots - 16th August 2011

There has been so much written about the impact of the recent riots on our communities and the independent retailers affected that it may seem there is nothing left to say.
However due to the large amount of political opinion and victims involved in this spate of crime, the real cost to retailers large and small has been under-reported.

In my role I have the privilege of speaking to a wide cross section of retailers at varying levels of seniority and both Store Managers and Managing Directors were clearing debris and counting their losses. I spoke to one Managing Director this week who had over 40 stores attacked including deaths within one site of some rioters, the stress to this SME will be considerable. I also spoke to a Super Store Manager this week who estimates a loss of over £60K the week following the riots due to the levels of destruction in the retail park his store is located in.

Many retailers were already behind in their sales plans and these riots have left them even further behind, with many of those hit the very retailers who are struggling most such as the electrical chains. I think I'll be having discussions with clients and candidates on the longer term impact of these riots in the months to come. EG

2011-06-17T12:18:00.006+01:00

Gamble & Yeates 2nd Birthday Cocktails, Covent Garden, 15th June 2012
Well it's been a formative and exciting two years and we were pleased to celebrate 2 years on in La Perla, Covent Garden with some of our favorite people! With the support and appreciation of our clients and candidates we have experienced substantial growth over the last 12 months and we look forward to working on more exciting projects in the year ahead!

2011-04-26T15:14:00.015+01:00

How to develop your profile in E-Commerce 26th April 2011

So, OK we all know we need to be on LinkedIn, but how else as an E-Commerce professional can you raise your profile? What should you do to subtly boost your credentials to attract key decision makers or to position yourself correctly to ensure that you are receiving calls from quality headhunters?

When we at Gamble & Yeates roll our sleeves up and research the market for a new search assignment, we use a number of methods to ensure we don't miss the talent. We read the trade press- a lot. When was the last time you or your company were mentioned in Retail Week, Drapers, The Grocer, Retail Jeweller, Internet Retailing etc?

Being in the press is not just about seeing your name in print. If your company has a positive story to tell such as "LFL sales up 40%" or "New Mobile App launched with positive results", we will find you whether you are the Social Media Manager or the ECommerce Director. We know only too well that our clients like us to headhunt professionals that, along with their own merits, have come from a success story. Contact your PR department with any press releases you can or if you have no PR function get in touch with the trade press directly- they thrive on new and interesting market information.

Hiring Managers and headhunters will ask high profile professionals for a steer on certain individuals and ask for recommendations. Ask yourself who are the 3 most successful people I have worked with in the past and who also know my capabilities? STAY IN TOUCH! Don't forget to catch up every 6-12 months, not only will they think of you for potential roles in their organisation but they will be speaking to a number of headhunters to whom they can recommend you.
Search the net for networking evenings in your field. A big hint would be to look at smaller networking events that are just starting out as they are always in need of a speaker or two, and once you have spoken for 10 minutes at a small intimate gathering of like minded professionals you will be surprised at which future events you are invited to speak. Be warned- whoever your audience are, make sure you know your topic very well, pass on useful information and always invite differences of opinion! EG

*Next time I'll be sharing advice on how to get yourself noticed on LinkedIn

2011-01-28T13:27:00.006Z

DRAPERS ETAIL AWARDS 27th Jan 2011

A fun filled evening with Ecommerce peers from the large multiples and smaller more entrepreneurial businesses, all in competition for awards including 'Best Specialist Etailer', 'Best Etail Marketing Initiative' and 'Best Multichannel Retailer'. John Lewis scooped the overall award for Best Etailer of the year. Among the Indie winners were Pretty Green for 'Best Etail Marketing Initiative' and Misguided who won 'Best New Etailer'.

Our compere for the evening was the aptly named 'Beardy Man' who took the human beatbox to a whole new level- great fun. A special mention to Route One who won 'Best Independent Etailer' who at 20 years of age are no newbie but who decided to enter the Awards for the first time and won, speaking to their CEO Richard Boissevain they are all delighted and glad they took the time to take part.

2010-10-13T12:23:00.010+01:00

Internet Retailing Conference 2010, 12th Oct, Hammersmith

There was a reasonable turnout for this very editorially based ECommerce event in its 4th year. Speakers were there to give a run down on their business and share their hot topics for 2011 and not to sell a long list of services...refreshing. Keynote speakers included Clare Gilmartin from Ebay, David Hughes from M&S Direct and David Walmsley from DSGi.

David Hughes seemed to be coming from a very exciting place with M&S Direct, having had great success with recent technology implementation including a 30% sales uplift online on products that were presented with video footage and noting that their mobile shopping technology had paid for itself in a matter of weeks. He also eluded to the power of Facebook where they had reported their highest level of FB engagement in relation to their 'bum lift' and 'frontal enhancement' underwear- mostly consisting of light hearted fun. When speaking about the concern retailers may have giving online reviewers carte blanche to write what they want on your site, David highlighted the fact that the reviews were 'self regulating' and that most negative comments were redressed by the loyal M&S followers.

David spoke about the Direct team always being led by customer insight when looking at new innovation and told us that one of the ways you can encourage innovation is by ring-fencing some money in your ECommerce P&L that you don't know what to do with and on which you expect to receive no return.

One of my favourite speakers of the day was a very positive Andrew Ground from Lovefilm who embraced the question of his company's validity in the years to come given that discs through the post will become outdated. Obviously streaming over the net is a growing side of their business but Andrew also discussed the opportunities of streaming by working in partnership with the most accessible home device-the games console. We will all be watching movies on our TV through our games device and/or freeview box in no time, we will be able to choose a movie to watch or update our rental list in real time. The news has leaked as of this morning and it appears that Lovefilm has officially partnered with the PS3. http://www.videogamer.com/news/lovefilm_ps3_partnership_is_official.html
Footage of the speakers is available- let us know if you would like to be sent the link.
ELG

2010-08-11T15:21:00.004+01:00

Enjoying the modern department store 11/08/2010

I need a workshirt for my partner, he needs his shirts to have two inches longer on the arms- where do I go....a department store. Speeding past John Lewis Oxford Street I thought I'd dash in on the off chance. I ask a very smart shop assistant where the extra long sleeved shirts are and I'm there in seconds, brilliant. Hang on not so brilliant, exactly want I want but the right size is not on the shelf. I shuffle off moodily to attract the attention of an assistant to ask the tiresome question of whether they have any in the stock room- bore!
Immediately two male assistants jump to help- within seconds I have one on his computer checking where he can find stock and the other has fled behind the scenes to check back of house. Two minutes later I'm holding one correct sized shirt and the other will be delivered to my door in two days from their Liverpool Store- at no cost to me.

You see, I may have had to wait two days for the second shirt but as the well known cheeky advert taking a pop at JLP promised; 'an awfully well brought up young man' did in fact 'bend over backwards' to help me.

I've been buying so much online that I'd forgotten how good the personal touch is (supported by multichannel availability, of course!). EG

2010-05-19T12:26:00.003+01:00

Hash Ladha to spearhead Aurora Multi-channel growth. 18th May 2010

The Aurora Group has hired Hash Ladha, previously Marketing & Operations Director at ASOS as Group Multi-channel Director for the Karen Millen, Coast, Oasis & Warehouse chains.

Hash who held senior marketing roles within the Arcadia Group was also part of the New Look Management Buyout in 2004 where he was Marketing Director. Having a strong ability to build an understanding of a retailer's customer base and develop successful contact and CRM strategies will mean that Hash will be a very strong asset.

2010-02-03T13:40:00.005Z

Drapers Etail Awards 28th January 2010 Bloomsbury Ballrooms

Winners 2010

Best Customer Experience: my-wardrobe.com

Best Etail Innovation: Girl Meets Dress

Best Etail Marketing Initiative : M and M Direct

Best Independent Etailer: Winner: Coggles.comHighly commended: Affair Lingerie

Best Multichannel Retailer: Schuh

Best New Etailer: Farfetch.com

Best Pure-play Etailer: M and M Direct

Best Single Brand Etailer: Radley

Best Specialist Etailer : MyTights.com Highly commended: Mama-la-mode

Drapers Etailer of the Year: M and M Direct Special mention: Coggles.com

M&M Direct were on top form winning three awards including Best Etailer of the Year (see pic above left). The Evening was a fun affair with a deorative theme that included some very macabre nude mannequins strung up by their necks all over the place (undoubtably the product of an unstable mind). All in all a great chance to celebrate the progress of Fashion Ecommerce and speaking for Gamble & Yeates- we had a great time!

2010-01-14T14:56:00.002Z

14/1 Drapers Etail Awards 2010

Don't miss the 2nd Drapers Etail Awards on the 28th January where we will celebrate the winners of 2009, the entrants have been judged by an independent panel of industry experts and categories include 'Best Customer Experience' and 'Best Multichannel Retailer'. The celebrity presenter this year will be Claudia Winkleman. We'll see you there.

Book tickets at http://www.drapersetailawards.co.uk/

2010-01-14T13:11:00.004Z

14/1
Retail Christmas Trading Full Steam Ahead

Despite the damage the snow has caused in January to most retailers, the positive Christmas trading figures cannot be overshadowed.

A big winner was John Lewis with LFL sales up 12.7 % over the Christmas period, taking into account the full launch of all their fashion brands online and the opening of their Cardiff store in September last year John Lewis is looking forward to a very successful 2010.

Other winners included Hamleys who posted an 11.6% LFL rise, Fortnum & Mason who were quoted as being up 10% on the previous year and a very impressive LFL 17.4% sales increase was recorded for The Dune Group who have proved it's acquisition of the former Shoe Studio group fascias to be a smart move.

Those who lost out over the period are few but have to include Debenhams whose trading figures were virtually flat with a 0.1% increase posted and The Game Group who were down 18% across the UK and Ireland not helped by the lack of new hardware product launches last year.

ELG

2009-11-27T17:01:00.008Z

27/11
The big Grocer shake up- who will end up where in the UK musical chairs?

It hopefully will not be a topic of speculation for too long but the new Head of Morrisons will be a big deal- if only because it will leave an empty chair elsewhere. Morrisons have been quiet about naming any potential internal successors probably because Marc Bolland was such a radical hire for them in the first place. Its a pleasure to watch things unfold...........

As per Retail Week...
27th November - Morrisons group finance director Richard Pennycook has emerged as the bookies’ favourite to take over as chief executive when Marc Bolland leaves to head Marks & Spencer.
23rd November - Waitrose managing director Mark Price has been named as a leading contender to replace Marc Bolland as chief executive of Morrisons.

2009-11-25T12:29:00.005Z

Article
Making friends with headhunters and how to make a
good first impression:
www.leonbaileygreen.com/index.php/site/permalink
/when_headhunters_hang_up_the_phone/

2009-11-25T12:25:00.010Z

Out & About

London Fashion Network’s First Birthday, Soho House, Sept 09.
L to R: Tim Danaher – Retail Week, Amy Collins – Olswang,
Emma Gamble, Vicky Ogden – Drapers/Pure London, Emma Faust, Amy Stevens – Believe Eve PR.

2009-11-25T12:21:00.006Z

Beth Ditto @ Evans Launch Party, Sketch July 09
L-R Miggy - Drapers/Pout, Leon Bailey Green -
The Online Fashion Agency, Emma Gamble

2009-11-24T10:26:00.006Z

The Online 100 Party, 24 London, Soho, June 09
L-R Emma Gamble, Leon Bailey-Green, Nick Ede - Eden CanCan,
Rebekah Roy - Drapers, Amanda Yeates