A science degree, years in hospitality retailing and a passion for survival skills are all proving useful in Paul Mildenstein’s role at Claire’s Accessories. Charlotte Hardie meets him.

The prospect of maximising his pocket money as a teenager first sparked Paul Mildenstein’s interest in retail. He worked in a climbing shop in the Peak District, earning a flat fee of£10 every Saturday, plus 1 per cent of everything he sold.

Despite the somewhat challenging commission structure, dogged determination kept him relatively affluent by schoolboy standards. “No one left that shop without a bar of Kendal mint cake or a map,” he laughs.

One thing that is immediately noticeable about Mildenstein’s CV is his eclectic experiences – all of which, he says, are proving helpful in his role as chief operating officer at Claire’s Accessories, which he joined in January this year.

First and foremost, he is a scientist by nature, with a degree in bacteriology and virology. “I didn’t want to be a doctor – I’ve got no patience. I expect someone to pop a pill and be well immediately,” he jokes. “But what science teaches you is what you want to achieve, how you’re going to do it, the critical path, key points along the way and what you’re expecting to find.”

Mildenstein is responsible for two key aspects of the Claire’s business. One involves overseeing its grand expansion plans in Europe. It aims to grow the business by between 300 and 500 stores in its existing markets – largely Germany, Spain and Portgual, as well as France, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland. The other revolves around ensuring its operations are effective and profitable.

It is easy to see why Mildenstein was picked for the Claire’s role. The 17 years he spent at Whitbread – much of it in hospitality retailing – gave him extensive experience of maintaining brand uniformity across large numbers of outlets. In addition, he worked at Costa Coffee during a massive expansion programme that involved opening about a store a week.

“At Pizza Hut, which had a franchised business model, you played around with product at your peril,” he says. “When you’ve got staff working for you in restaurants who can sometimes determine their own way of working with product, that’s when you realise you can get that lack of brand integrity, which is so integral to a business.”

Claire’s Accessories’ target market is four to 17-year-old girls and its expansion is, in part, aided by the fact that it is more immune than others to the wider economic problems affecting consumer spending. “Parents aren’t going to sit down with their eight-year-old daughter and say: ‘I’m sorry, Mary, but what with the credit crunch we’re reducing your pocket money by 14 per cent, blame Gordon Brown’,” says Mildenstein.

Furthermore, the retailer’s inexpensive price points are attractive to those older shoppers trying to rein in spending. “You might not be able to afford the big luxuries in life, but you can still afford some hair slides or a new belt to wear at the weekend,” he explains.

At the same time, Mildenstein recognises it is critical to ensure that the stores constantly maintain their appeal. “It’s paradise for our shoppers and we need to continue to keep it that way,” he says. To date, Claire’s Accessories has pierced about 18 million pairs of ears. Its ear piercing service not only sparks conversation between staff and its young clientele, it also helps improve brand loyalty. The business will now be rolling out this service to every store in Europe.

Engrained in his thinking is the notion that store staff should be viewed by everyone as “the heroes of the business”. He explains: “In our best stores they influence the customer so much. Customers look at the way they dress and all of our staff wear the product. They are a living, breathing advertisement for what Claire’s is about – putting together a lot of items and having fun.”

Mildenstein has one personal interest that is, perhaps, most telling about his approach to retail: he is passionate about the art of survival skills. “When you go off into the mountains for a weekend with next to nothing, live off the land and find your way, it teaches you to think differently,” he says.

He also teaches these skills. His top tip for survival? “Sharing,” he says. “Once we gave a group enough kit, providing they shared. It’s amazing – all it required them to do was get in the same sleeping bag, but they didn’t, some of them woke up freezing,” he laughs.

And let’s face it, in the present climate, every retailer needs people at its helm who are adept at survival.

Route to the top

Age: 45

Family: married, with a daughter

Interests: outdoor pursuits, survival skills

Career history

January 2008-present: chief operating officer of Claire’s Accessories.

2005-08: managing director of Dollar Financial

2001-04: group operations director of T&S Stores

1999-2001: various Whitbread roles: operations director at Costa Coffee, regional director at Pizza Hut

1984-1999: various Allied Breweries roles, from commercial graduate trainee to area manager

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