Philip Bier, UK managing director at general merchandise store Tiger, speaks to Retail Week about his life working in retail.

Philip Bier

What was your first job in retailing?

A 50% shareholder and managing director of Tiger Retail.

Which retail company do you admire most and why?

John Lewis for its ability to stay ahead of the competition and provide a consistent high level of service.

What is the trait you least like in yourself?

Sometimes focusing on less important operational details, rather than keeping focused on the strategic development in the business.

Who have you learnt most from in your retail career?

Lennart Lajboschitz, founder and chief executive of Tiger Denmark.

What advice would you give someone starting out in retail?

Stick by the clichés - location, location, location, and retail is detail.

What keeps you awake at night?

Snow forecast at weekends during December.

What’s the most satisfying part of your job?

Happy customers and staff growing with the business.

What’s your proudest achievement?

My two wonderful children, although my wife did the hard bit.

What’s your favourite shop and why?

Apple, because it has beautiful architecture and sales staff who make a technological dinosaur feel like a whiz kid.

What job would you have done if you hadn’t become a retailer?

Until 2008 I was a professional architectural photographer, so I would have carried on with that.

What was your last purchase?

A Lonely Planet guide to Japan for my trip to the Tiger shop in Osaka and to travel around.