Interviews – Page 13
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InterviewInterview: Ikea boss Peter Jelkeby on his plans to ‘spice things up’ on Oxford Street
Ikea UK and Ireland chief executive Peter Jelkeby fizzes with excitement about the brand’s new city-centre digs.
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InterviewQ&A: Vinted marketplace CEO Adam Jay on the future of second-hand fashion
Retail Week spoke to Vinted marketplace chief executive Adam Jay about the platform’s expansion plans, resale market challenges, the importance of having no selling fees and how second-hand fashion will shape the future
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InterviewMarks Electrical boss Mark Smithson on keeping its edge in a difficult market
The electricals sector has faced tough challenges amid the cost-of-living crisis, high inflation and a poor macroeconomic environment since Covid-19 but for Marks Electrical, the past few years have meant revenue growth and soaring sales.
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InterviewQ&A: Cotswold Company CEO Ralph Tucker on repair shops, store openings and the four-day week
Tucker took on his first CEO gig at premium home and furniture retailer Cotswold Company just four weeks before the pandemic hit and has steered it through several crises since
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InterviewHow Retail Leader of the Year Carl Cowling piloted WHSmith to new heights
As WHSmith chief executive Carl Cowling wins the Salesforce Retail Leader of the Year Award, we meet the man who led the high street and travel specialist to not just survive but thrive following the pandemic
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InterviewQ&A: Ikea exec talks new tech and how AR can transform the in-store experience
Ikea’s country marketing manager Helena Gouveia, along with immersive tech company Warpin CEO Emma Ridderstad and partner director Eva Kindlundh, speaks to Retail Week about the in-store augmented-reality partnership
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InterviewQ&A: Resale platform Sellier’s founder on bullet-proof authentication and snapping up competitors
Sellier’s founder and chief executive Hanushka Toni speaks to Retail Week about the current challenges within the resale market, expansion plans and the importance of authenticated luxury.
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InterviewQ&A: Sustainable beauty brand KinKind’s director on moving into physical retail and growth plans
KinKind, the plastic-free bath and body brand, has carved a name for itself since its launch in 2019. With a mission to make every bathroom in every home plastic-free, the pureplay brand announced it would be expanding into the world of retail starting January this year, appointing Paul Brown as the brand’s sales and operations director.
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InterviewQ&A: John Bason on brand collaborations, cost of living and Primark’s digital future
Following Primark’s latest report of trading “well ahead of expectations”, Retail Week spoke to ABF’s finance director John Bason about the latest footfall patterns, the importance of in-store experiences and the future of digital at the retailer
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InterviewQ&A: Jeroboams CEO Matthew Tipping on in-store tech, the labour shortage and branching out of London
Jeroboams has carved a name for itself as London’s local wine merchant since it began trading more than 30 years ago, with its trade distribution arm dating back to 1934, but it’s not resting on its laurels.
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InterviewInterview: Entrepreneur Wayne Hemingway on his new ‘purposeful shopping’ venture
Queues out the door, thronged tills, DJs. There was all the pazzazz of a flagship store opening but the excitement was not for one of fashion’s big names. It was for the opening of Charity Super.Mkt, labelled the first multi-charity preloved fashion department store.
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InterviewInterview: Jollyes CEO Joe Wykes on expansion, competition and staff happiness
From new store openings to Christmas trading results, petcare retailer Jollyes is celebrating a year of record-breaking and chief executive Joe Wykes has no intention of taking his foot off the accelerator
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InterviewInterview: Primark US boss Kevin Tulip on finally cracking America
Watching huge names like Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury’s shutter or sell their US venture would be enough to put almost anyone off trying to achieve the American dream, but Primark US boss Kevin Tulip is charging ahead with his
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InterviewFormer boss Cheryl Calverley: 'I wish I'd taken Eve Sleep private years ago'
Following Eve Sleep’s downfall and acquisition by Bensons for Beds, former chief executive Cheryl Calverley gave Retail Week her take on what went wrong
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InterviewInterview: Biscuiteers founder Harriet Hastings on Christmas, mail strikes and cheap imitations
Biscuiteers founder Harriet Hastings has baked herself a multi-million-pound high-end biscuit empire. She reflects on how she built her business and how it plans to deal with historic lows in consumer confidence and rampant inflation
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InterviewInterview: How Crew Clothing’s boss is building 'Ralph Lauren of middle England'
“I want Crew Clothing to become the Ralph Lauren of middle England.” It is a bold and ambitious statement from Crew’s chief executive David Butler, who has led the business since 2017 and has grand designs to grow it into the “most successful mid-market player” in UK fashion.
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InterviewInterview: How Tapi Carpets founder Martin Harris is tapping into a new era
Retail Week sits down with Tapi founder Martin Harris to discuss how the business has grown over the past seven years and why smaller stores might be the future of flooring
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InterviewInterview: How British Airways is boosting customer engagement against the downturn
As IAG Loyalty enters retail with the launch of its wine delivery service, Retail Week speaks to Jack Smith – the freshly appointed CEO of new subsidiary IAGL Retail – to understand why it is making its foray into the market and the role of rewards in driving retention
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InterviewInterview: Poundland’s Barry Williams on Christmas, cost of living and gunning for the grocers
Retail Week sits down with Poundland boss Barry Williams to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by the cost-of-living crisis, the retailer’s growing focus on new categories and building a profitable online business from a standing start
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InterviewAnalysis: John Roberts on putting spark back into AO, price pledges and third-party deals
AO boss John Roberts tells Retail Week how he plans to turn the business around with a new streamlined, profit-centric strategy