Etail Power List2013
The Retail Week Etail Power List 2013 unveils the 50 most influential people in etail. The annual listing reveals who has risen up the ranks and why each person matters to the sector.
Scroll over to see where each person is ranked this year, and click to read why they matter.
To download the Retail Week Etail Power List in full visit retail-week.com/EPL2013.
In association with
1
Chris North
Managing director - Amazon UK
For the second year running, Amazon’s UK boss, Chris North, holds on to the top spot.
The true picture of Amazon’s progress under North was revealed when the secretive US giant was coerced into revealing its UK figures for the first time after a grilling by a Parliamentary Select Committee over its tax status.
It made £3.35bn in UK sales in 2011, the year North took over, and recorded a pre-tax profit of £74m. Revenue jumped to $6.48bn (£4.1bn) just one year later, according to the etailer’s annual report.
Amazon remains most retailers’ biggest threat. Its power in categories such as music, DVDs and electricals has played a hand in retailers such as HMV, Blockbuster and Comet hitting the buffers over the past year.
Although he has expertise in books – before joining Amazon he held roles at publishers HarperCollins and Phaidon – North is spearheading the etailer’s push into more categories and has steadily been extending its offer, most recently adding premium fashion to its roster.
It’s not just its product range that Amazon UK is expanding – it is also adding staff. The etailer is moving from its Slough base into the capital as it vies to make sure it attracts the best emerging talent.
There are few things Amazon doesn’t sell, whether directly or through its growing array of third-party sellers, making it the must-visit website for most categories.
However, Amazon is more than a retailer. It has been diversifying from simply selling products to providing a broader range of digital services. The company is investing billions into broader technology services such as its Kindle tablet range, computing, video streaming and digital downloads.
Amazon’s level of profitability has long been debated. The etailer seems more focused on continually enhancing its offer and last year it spent $3.8bn (£2.35bn) globally on capital projects.
It is just such investment that has made Amazon the biggest innovator in the industry and the number-one choice for consumers.
2
Nick Robertson
Chief executive - Asos
It’s been another stellar year for Asos boss Nick Robertson, who remains the poster boy for online retail.
Asos, which launched in 2000, is one of the great etail success stories and now has a stock market value of more than £4bn. It has created a winning formula for online fashion by combining must-have brands with a dash of style advice, free delivery and return offers.
The fashion etailer’s quest for global domination passed two milestones this year when it launched in Russia and China. The markets are already two of its largest but localised websites are expected to propel growth further.
Asos has been a trailblazer overseas and its international division accounts for almost 70% of sales.
However, its UK business has not been neglected and Robertson’s ability to read his twentysomething customer ensured a sales slowdown Asos suffered in late 2011 was a blip rather than a trend.
In the face of a struggling youth market, he lowered prices, which has paid dividends.
Robertson is to launch a value fashion line, Style Steal, in a bid to emulate Primark’s success. And not content with matching Primark, he even managed to woo the online-shy value giant to join Asos in an online collaboration this year. Although only temporary, Robertson said the trial tie-up generated a phenomenal response from customers.
Asos, which has long been keen to add further retail talent to its business, finally managed to nab the highly regarded former Marks & Spencer clothing boss Kate Bostock in January this year.
However, the appointment was short-lived. Bostock and Asos parted ways after just six months, concluding that it was not the right place for her.
Robertson said Asos “continues to fire on all cylinders” and its Russian and Chinese launches will undoubtedly rev it up even more.
3
Tim Steiner
Chief executive - Ocado
Ocado’s energetic co-founder has shot up the rankings of etail’s big hitters this year after inking a sensational £216m deal with Morrisons to launch its online grocery offer.
After two months of negotiations, Tim Steiner unveiled the terms of a 25-year contract that simultaneously secured Ocado’s often-doubted future and endorsed the etailer’s technology.
The entrepreneur will shape Morrisons’ online food offer, which is due to launch in January, while courting international players keen to take advantage of Ocado’s expertise by licensing his technology.
However, the deal was not entirely smooth. Mark Price, managing director of long-term customer Waitrose, gave Steiner the cold shoulder after first learning of the Morrisons partnership – although he now says there is “goodwill on all sides”.
As well as the Morrisons tie-up, Steiner secured the signature of retail heavyweight and former Marks & Spencer executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose, who became Ocado chairman in May.
Long held back by capacity constraints at its Hatfield centre, in February Ocado opened a 360,000 sq ft customer fulfilment centre in Dordon, Warwickshire. This was the core reason the etailer was floated in 2010.
The former Goldman Sachs banker has also been pressing forward with his plans to build Ocado from “supermarket to hypermarket to specialist” by broadening its non-food range before splitting off categories to dedicated websites. The first of these, pet specialist Fetch, launched in July, featuring snappy branding and Ocado’s unique service and delivery proposition.
Meanwhile, the core Ocado business delivered a strong year as sales and average order sizes continued to grow. In September, the etailer reported a 16.4% rise in sales to £189.2m in its third quarter as basket size edged up 1% to £113.54.
As shoppers become more comfortable shopping for food online, Ocado is well placed to capitalise.
4
Robin Terrell
Group multichannel director - Tesco
Robin Terrell stepped into one of the biggest jobs in etail this year when he joined Tesco as its multichannel boss in February.
Terrell has a lot on his plate. Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke has vowed to turn the supermarket giant into a ‘global digital leader’ and hiring Terrell was a key part of that plan.
Terrell certainly has the pedigree. He previously transformed House of Fraser’s online fashion sales, as ecommerce soared under his leadership, and spearheaded online growth at Amazon and John Lewis.
The rugby fan has hit the ground running at Tesco. Alongside continuing to build on Tesco’s successful online businesses, he is ensuring the grocer is at the heart of technological innovation.
Terrell and his team are constantly seeking out new ideas, and he has spearheaded the sponsorship of the Rainmaking Loft – a technology start-up hub at St Katharine Docks in London. The Loft gives technology innovators space to come together to work and share ideas, which Tesco gets to tap into.
Terrell has also played a role in Tesco’s launch of a tablet computer. The budget-priced device, Hudl, went on sale in September, and Clarke said it is a crucial element of Tesco’s multichannel strategy. The device is preloaded with Tesco’s range of services, including groceries, F&F, banking and Blinkbox movies.
Terrell has wasted no time in hiring for his team either, poaching John Lewis head of omnichannel Karen Dracou to become his multichannel strategy director.
But as Tesco remains in the midst of a turnaround in the UK, there is huge pressure on Terrell to keep innovating and deliver to customers the shopping experience they want, when they want it.
Clarke says technology is changing the way people shop, and Terrell’s job is to make sure Tesco is one step ahead.
5
Lord Wolfson
Chief executive - Next
Next boss Lord Wolfson is one of the greatest advocates of multichannel retail. Despite the unstoppable growth of Next’s Directory business – which is now more profitable than its bricks-and-mortar retail arm – Wolfson insists the retailer will continue to open more stores in the UK.
He says Next’s retail business helps propel online sales and points out that 38% of web orders are collected in store.
It’s no wonder that customers are choosing to shop on the web with Next. Wolfson is determined to make the online shopping experience as quick and convenient as possible and Next has been a retailer to watch in terms of fulfilment for some time.
It piloted same-day delivery last December to make Christmas shopping as easy as possible, and offers next-day delivery on orders made by 10pm.
The retailer has also harnessed the growing trend for click-and-collect by pushing the threshold of its next-day delivery orders to 9pm for products to be picked up in store. That has helped boost sales through that delivery medium from 28% last year to 38% in the first half to July 27 this year. Wolfson expects to push that out further to 10pm by the end of the year.
Next’s Directory now makes more than £1bn a year in sales and shows no signs of slowing. Sales jumped 8.3% in its most recent half.
International is Next’s next big growth area, but in that instance Wolfson shuns physical stores in favour of online sales. He says the method is a less risky way of growing overseas for a retailer whose offer is not specifically aimed at an international market.
It is already bearing fruit – international online sales, which accounted for just 10% of sales in 2010, jumped 66.6% to £90m this year.
6
Andy Harding
Executive director of multichannel - House of Fraser
House of Fraser’s ecommerce boss may be new to the list, but his achievements at the retailer have been noted for some time. Andy Harding was former House of Fraser ecommerce chief Robin Terrell’s right-hand man and has stepped out of his shadow since his departure.
He continues to carve the department store out as an innovator in multichannel retail.
Harding excels at putting himself in the shoes of his customers, working out what would make their shopping experience better then making it happen.
He is a firm believer that daytime home deliveries are not convenient, so in August launched a guaranteed evening delivery service to make taking time off work to wait for online orders a thing of the past.
Harding has also done his utmost to ensure House of Fraser makes the most of consumers’ growing appetite for click-and-collect. He has taken key lessons from the two click-and-collect-only stores he piloted with Terrell in 2011 – the Aberdeen store performed “fantastically”, while its Liverpool version did not work.
Harding is pushing on with the trailblazing format and is eyeing four or five further locations.
He plans to launch a same-day click-and-collect service for the festive period so last-minute Christmas shoppers can get their hands on coveted items.
Harding is also focusing on the in-store experience for customers who are collecting orders.
The popularity of the click-and-collect stores led to queues forming to pick up products, so House of Fraser has again brought an innovative solution to market with its virtual queueing system. This allows shoppers to browse the store while waiting to collect goods.
The trial, at House of Fraser’s London City store, allows shoppers to check in from a self-service kiosk as they enter the store. They then receive a text with an estimated waiting time and a link allowing them to check their progress.
The innovations are working. House of Fraser’s online sales soared 53% in its last financial year.
In the wake of Terrell’s departure, ardent Manchester United fan Harding has become the department store’s star striker.
7
Mark Lewis
Online director - John Lewis
Overseeing John Lewis’ thriving online business has to be one of the best jobs in etail. Mark Lewis joined the department store business in March, charged with developing an already leading multichannel offer.
In many ways Lewis, who has an impressive, well-rounded CV, was the obvious choice. Before joining John Lewis he was chief executive of parcel collection service Collect+, which has been a game-changer for many retailers’ multichannel operations. The service allows shoppers to pick up online orders from a network of 4,500 local shops.
Around the time John Lewis unveiled Lewis as its new online director, the department store revealed plans to team up with Collect+ to boost its multichannel credentials. No doubt Lewis helped bring the service to the attention of John Lewis boss Andy Street.
But Lewis also has an enviable track record in retail. After starting his career in advertising, he spent six years with eBay, joining as head of seller activation and eventually leading the etail giant’s European business.
So the John Lewis role marks a return to etail for Lewis, who can be assured that his new employer fully appreciates the power of ecommerce. As he arrived, John Lewis unveiled its new £40m web platform – a signal of its intent.
Street expects online sales to account for 40% of overall turnover by 2020, up from the 26.6% at present, and Lewis will be expected to lead that charge.
Lewis is not just a digital leader, but a bit of a brainbox too, as evidenced by his first-class maths degree from Cambridge University.
With his combination of intelligence and commercial nous, Lewis is well equipped to keep John Lewis ahead of the multichannel pack.
8
John Walden
Managing director - Argos
Following Home Retail chief executive Terry Duddy’s decision to stand down next year, John Walden is widely seen as the front-runner among the internal candidates to take the helm at the Argos and Homebase parent company.
Walden joined Argos in February 2012, bringing experience from the US, where he previously held positions at businesses including electricals giant Best Buy. At the end of last year he unveiled his strategy to turn Argos into a digital rather than catalogue-led retailer.
His plan includes a shift from catalogues to web browsers in store, digital catalogue distribution, enhanced and extended product ranges designed to increase the retailer’s appeal, and improvements to IT and cost efficiencies.
There are signs that Argos, which suffered during the downturn when its core customers were hit, is on the up again. In September, the retailer posted a like-for-like advance of 2.7% in the second quarter and multichannel revenues rocketed.
Internet penetration rose to represent 44% of Argos’ total sales, versus 42% in the comparable period the previous year.
M-commerce revenues soared by 133% to account for 17% of total sales, compared with 7% in the same period the previous year.
This Christmas will be crucial for Walden, who will hope to deliver further improvements in performance during retail’s golden quarter and position himself even more strongly as the obvious successor to Duddy.
Walden, whose quiet style is said to belie a fiercely competitive nature, has made an impact on Argos since his arrival. Now he has even more to play for.
9
Laura Wade-Gery
Executive director of multichannel ecommerce - Marks & Spencer
Laura Wade-Gery joined Marks & Spencer in 2011 and has overseen a raft of initiatives designed to drive the retailer’s ambition to be an international, multichannel powerhouse.
In August 2012, M&S opened its Cheshire Oaks flagship, featuring a host of multichannel initiatives such as iPads, browse-and-order hubs and free wi-fi.
The pace has been maintained since, ranging from its Kalverstraat store in Amsterdam, which features a virtual clothes rail, to the ‘inspiration station’ that is part of new-look footwear departments and suggests appropriate accessories to accompany a purchase.
Wade-Gery has sought to bring fresh thinking into the business with a digital hub created to instil a Silicon Roundabout-style, start-up attitude to innovation. She has also highlighted the need for retailers to adapt to the changing trading environment by ensuring there is digital expertise in the boardroom.
In September she told Retail Week: “I’m still relatively rare as a board person who effectively runs the online business. I talk to heads of online in other retailers and they’re struggling – they turn up in the boardroom and nobody has a clue what they’re talking about.”
Wade-Gery, who formerly ran Tesco.com, is widely seen as a potential successor to M&S chief executive Marc Bolland when he moves on. The speed of change in retail brought about by shifting shopping habits, as well as success in building M&S’s multichannel business, puts her in a strong position.
Last year M&S’s multichannel sales rose 16.6%, helped by developments such as the launch of free next-day collection from stores.
An ecommerce distribution centre also opened last year and, in spring 2014, the retailer will move on to a new web platform. The shift should enable Wade-Gery to further ramp up M&S’s multichannel business.
She falls only because of the extent of change in etail, which has propelled others up the list.
10
Matthew Moulding
Chief executive - The Hut Group
It might not have floated yet – despite many expecting it to – but The Hut, the business chartered accountant Matthew Moulding set up in 2003, continues to achieve phenomenal growth.
Sales shot up 37% in its first half as the etail group made waves overseas. The Cheshire business is rapidly building a global customer base and expects more than 50% of its sales to come from outside the UK by next year.
Moulding set up the business as an internet novice and ploughed money from friends and family into the venture. While haemorrhaging cash on marketing he had a stroke of genius and decided to build a platform for providing white-label sites to retailers such as Asda.
That propelled the etailer forward in the early days, but it has now gone full circle and focuses on its direct retail operation. This spans 16 websites which sell everything from handbags to protein supplements.
Moulding has surrounded himself with a young, dynamic workforce. Typical recruits are first-class maths or physics Oxbridge graduates with a talent for trading. He rewards success and it is not unusual to find a 23-year-old managing director with a bundle of shares in the company.
Moulding and his team have discovered a recipe for etail success. It focuses on clothing, gifts, beauty and home products that generate a high level of repeat purchases and a low returns rate. The model has grabbed the eyes of retail big-hitters and The Hut has one of the most venerable boards in the industry, including former Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy and Co-op chief financial officer Richard Pennycook, who chairs the business.
The acquisitive Moulding has made the most of the downturn, snapping up businesses such as designer fashion brand Coggles.
Whether or not it floats next year as touted, Moulding will ensure The Hut Group remains buoyant.
11
Niall Sutherland
Associate director of ecommerce - Sports Direct
Few people will have heard of Niall Sutherland, but he is the man leading Sports Direct’s fast-growing online offer and he’s doing a stellar job. Sales through the channel rocketed 52.1% to £264.6m in the last financial year and online total sales rose from 11.6% to 15%.
Sutherland and his team have created a formidable operation, as order fulfilment and IT solutions are developed in-house.
Sports Direct is known for the array of merchandise it sells in its stores and its website has taken that to the next level.
It is fast-becoming the Amazon of the sports world, with few sports products not available on its website. It has invested heavily in product range and availability, along with the launch of a new online platform last November.
Value is at the centre of the retailer’s online offer and its daily deals have proved popular.
Sports Direct has long been forward-thinking in its approach to multichannel retail, rebranding its stores to Sportsdirect.com some years ago. The buy-in to ecommerce has been driven from above. The retailer’s inimitable founder Mike Ashley has thrown his substantial weight behind the channel, to which he devotes a lot of his personal time.
However, unlike Ashley’s football team Newcastle United, Sutherland is managing to deliver results under the watchful eye of his big boss.
12
Alex Baldock
Chief executive - Shop Direct
Former banker Alex Baldock has been at the helm of Shop Direct for just over a year, during which time he has devised a masterplan to get the £1.7bn business into profit – and he has his team enthused about it.
Baldock has set the bar high and has challenged his team to create the best end-to-end personalised websites in the world over the next three-to-five years.
Every online retailer aims to increase personalisation, but it is particularly critical for Shop Direct, which owns Littlewoods and Very – with 70,000 SKUs, it needs to tailor the experience for the customer.
That is the next step in Shop Direct’s digital evolution. Just 10 years ago more than 70% of the group’s sales came from catalogues. Now, more than 80% of transactions are made online.
Baldock believes the group’s 80-year history sets it in good stead to achieve this goal and is investing heavily.
The retailer is working with teams in Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv – which Baldock says is leading the world in technological innovation – to use the company’s reams of customer and product data to improve the customer experience.
Marathon runner Baldock has his team on the right track and is sure to have the stamina to be a frontrunner in the digital race.
13
Ross Clemmow
Divisional trading director, ecommerce - Debenhams
Debenhams was left with some big shoes to fill when Simon Forster left for Selfridges late last year, but Ross Clemmow was a good replacement.
Clemmow spent five years at Argos, one of the UK’s most multichannel-focused retailers, where he was in charge of ecommerce and multichannel strategy.
Debenhams is putting multichannel at the heart of its business. It is one of chief executive Michael Sharp’s four pillars of growth.
The retailer was a late starter online compared with rivals such as John Lewis, but it is fast gaining ground. Online sales soared 46.2% in the year to August 31, while online market share increased 50 basis points.
At the moment, Debenhams is tweaking its offer and working out what customers are prepared to pay for in terms of fulfilment.
Clemmow knows how to spot an opportunity. He spent three years at Active Private Equity, an investment firm specialising in identifying the next big thing in ecommerce. Under his watch, Debenhams could be next on that list.
14
Clare Gilmartin
EU marketplaces vice-president - EBay
EBay’s transformation from auction site to physical retail channel steamed further ahead this year, as the online giant followed in Amazon’s footsteps by establishing its first high street presence.
The marketplace launched a groundbreaking tie-up with Argos which allows customers to collect items ordered on eBay in its stores.
The initiative is not only designed to capitalise on the unabated consumer desire for click-and-collect, but could create another valuable revenue stream for high street retailers with an abundance of stores.
Dublin-born Clare Gilmartin has been the driving force behind eBay’s UK and European business for the past three years, and has ensured eBay retains its innovative culture to keep the site cutting-edge.
The Argos partnership attempts to position eBay as the retailer’s friend, rather than foe, and retailers such as Superdry and House of Fraser use it as their sole outlet channel.
EBay UK attracts 18 million visitors a month and opens up a vast audience to the brands it strikes partnerships with. A full-price venture is thought to be Gilmartin’s next major project and brands are sure to be lining up to join and ride the waves of eBay’s success.
15
Richard Pennycook
Chairman - The Hut Group
Group finance director - The Co-operative
It has been a busy year for Richard Pennycook. The former Morrisons chief financial officer revealed he was leaving the grocer in June last year, and since then the big announcements have followed thick and fast.
In March, it was revealed that Morrisons was in talks with Ocado to help it launch its online grocery service. Pennycook left the grocer in May, having no doubt played a central role in the development of the deal and, in the same month, Morrisons officially announced its partnership with Ocado.
Pennycook has certainly kept himself busy after he left Morrisons. In October last year he joined the board of fast-growth etailer The Hut Group, where he is now chairman, giving him first-hand experience at a leading online operation. And in June it emerged that he was to start at The Co-op as chief financial operator, where he will play a central role in the retailer’s online grocery launch.
Having taken part in the two big online food launches of the year and with plenty of work to come, Pennycook is at the heart of UK etail and is fast becoming as well respected online as he always has been in traditional retailing.
16
David Walmsley
Multichannel development director - Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer continues to battle the bears in the City as general merchandise performance struggles under chief executive Marc Bolland. David Walmsley’s role has become increasingly key in ensuring the high street bellwether can improve sales, remain relevant in the digital world and blaze a trail for others.
Walmsley, who joined M&S in 2011 from Dixons, where he was director of ecommerce, has overseen the implementation of a number of digital innovations in the past year. They include M&S’s 148,000 sq ft multichannel flagship Cheshire Oaks store and its digital innovation lab, designed to harness the spirit of Silicon Roundabout and breed a start-up approach to new ideas.
Under multichannel boss Laura Wade-Gery, Walmsley’s role has grown in importance following the departure of multichannel trading director Dominic McBrien, and as M&S broadens its multichannel services at home and overseas.
Cambridge graduate Walmsley has an eye for strategy and the sector will be watching closely for any indication of an online grocery offer. With Morrisons and the Co-op finally showing their hands by unveiling digital launches in the past year, questions may begin to mount over whether M&S should follow suit.
Walmsley will also be keen to harness his experience at multichannel leader John Lewis, where he was head of web selling and customer services.
17
Hash Ladha
Chief operating officer - Oasis
Hash Ladha has been one of the leaders of the multichannel revolution since his days at Asos. The ecommerce guru has helped ensure Aurora Fashions, which first coined the word omnichannel, puts it at the heart of the business.
One of Ladha’s latest developments has been the introduction of wi-fi across Aurora’s UK and European stores to enable the roll-out of iPads later this year. The iPads will serve multiple purposes, acting as transactional POS systems to help reduce queues, improving customer information and displaying images and video content on ranges, products and special offers in changing rooms.
Big changes are on the horizon for Oasis as it adapts to the digital retail market. Parent Aurora is in the process of demerging its brands, as Coast becomes a standalone business and Oasis and Warehouse join together in a new company called Fresh Channel.
With Ladha at the helm of Oasis’ multichannel strategy, innovation will be a core pillar of the new company – both online and in store. Ladha’s technological know-how will no doubt accelerate Oasis’ integrated multichannel push in the UK and overseas.
18
Doug Gurr
Vice-president - Amazon UK
Anyone leading Amazon’s UK strategy is always going to keep a low personal profile, and Gurr has certainly done so in the past year.
The company, however, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons after it was hauled in front of a committee of MPs in November last year over the tax avoidance controversy. The debacle damaged Amazon’s reputation in the UK in the eyes of some, but business seems to have continued as usual under Gurr.
Amazon.com reported a surprise loss in the second quarter to the end of June as it continues to invest heavily in digital services, and as ever, there’s no doubt a huge amount is going on behind the scenes.
Much of the development is mobile-related – it has announced a scheme to ramp up its presence on mobile apps by offering developers incentives to integrate adverts for its products into their applications, and rumours abound that it will launch a smartphone at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Gurr remains a steady and capable hand at the wheel of the Amazon UK ship – his reputation has remained untarnished as a result of Amazon’s issues this year.
19
Jonathon Brown
Chief executive - M and M Direct
Former John Lewis online boss Jonathon Brown has already worked his magic at discount fashion etailer M and M Direct.
In just over a year at the helm he has led the relaunch of its website and introduced a mobile site and app but, more importantly, has helped deliver a solid set of financials.
The etailer’s sales jumped 7.4% to £113.4m and pre-tax profit increased from £2.6m to £6.4m in its year to February 28, 2013.
M and M Direct is Brown’s first chief executive role but he is a well-established name in etail, having helped JohnLewis.com become one of the most admired websites in the business and after leading B&Q’s online team.
Brown is in the process of refreshing the M and M Direct brand which, along with the new-look website, includes a new logo and new customer messaging, which he hopes will grow its female customer base.
He is also focusing on driving the etailer’s international and own-brand business.
M and M Direct is a brand that is unfamiliar to many consumers, but is hoping to change that with more advertising, including its current sponsorship of The Simpsons on Channel 4.
20
Karen Hubbard
Executive director for property and multichannel - Asda
Asda’s executive director for property and multichannel emerged from the shadow of former chief operating officer Judith McKenna this year, after the latter took up a wider role at parent company Walmart.
Karen Hubbard joined Asda in 2009 and handled the operations of its first smaller stores, acquired from Netto, drawing on her background in convenience retail with fuel giant BP, where she was convenience director for Australia and the UK.
The lively Australian has put aside a lacklustre summer for her sporting heroes – she quipped in August that she had spent the summer at odds with rugby-mad boss Andy Clarke – to enjoy a stellar year.
Asda’s large, out-of-town store base has given Hubbard the chance to tap into the growth in convenience grocery. With that remit, she has blazed a trail in developing new methods of collecting groceries this year, creating sites at retail parks, universities and travel hubs.
Asda also struck a deal to allow Collect+ users to pick up non-food orders in 5,000 convenience shops earlier this year and is working on offering same-day delivery.
Heading a talented team which also includes multichannel director Jon Wragg and home shopping director Kieran Shanahan, Hubbard will hope Asda can hit the sweet spot by capitalising on its customer base of busy mums shopping on their mobile devices.
21
Peter Fitzgerald
Country sales director - Google UK
Google continues to be one of the more dominant technology players, and Peter Fitzgerald continues to play a central role. Its search function remains the gateway to the web – no retailer will get far online without it, and its access to shopper search data and information is impressive.
But Google is not stopping there. In the past year its Google Glass gadget has been one of the most talked-about technology releases. Its implications for retail could be far-reaching – Glass does everything smartphones do, but the wearer can keep it on at all times (high-profile technology blogger Robert Scoble even wears his in the shower), and it is controlled by the user’s voice.
Glass’s uses in retail could be myriad – if Google succeeds in making it mainstream, it will be the kind of thing retailers can’t afford to ignore.
As UK retailers’ main point of contact within Google, Fitzgerald is a crucial person to know.
His own broad knowledge of how retail is developing makes him both an enlightening speaker and a helpful addition to a retail team, and his position on Debenhams’ board shows how in demand he is as an advice source for online retail.
22
Mark Sebba
Chief executive - Net-a-Porter
Net-a-Porter chief executive Mark Sebba has been batting off the competition from rival etailers such as Avenue 32 and LuisaViaRoma, and has continued to drive innovation, differentiating the luxury etailer’s offer from those of other players.
Net-a-Porter has been expanding significantly to strengthen its reach, particularly targeting Asia. In 2011 it bought Chinese discount fashion etailer Shouke for £6.7m, which it relaunched several months later as TheOutnet.cn, a Chinese-language version of Net-a-Porter’s discount website The Outnet.
Net-a-Porter also plans to open its third distribution centre in Hong Kong this year. Sebba, a former investment banker, is sure to be confident the investment will pay off as Asian consumers’ appetite for luxury continues.
Net-a-Porter’s sales rose from £37.2m in January 2007 to £368.1m last year.
The etailer’s offer combines top-quality editorial content with retail, and it plans to launch a consumer magazine, Porter, in February, with former Harper’s Bazaar editor Lucy Yeomans at the helm. Net-a-Porter also wants to further encourage consumer engagement by unveiling its own social network app, The Netbook, which allows consumers to share their favourite items from the site.
It seems Sebba is ensuring the luxury etailer is staying ahead in the rapidly changing digital age.
23
Robin Phillips
Director of ecommerce - Waitrose
Robin Phillips’ role has taken on added spice this year as the grocer ramps up its online operations.
Waitrose managing director Mark Price said the grocer has moved to “DEFCON1” in boosting its online capacity in the wake of the news that delivery partner Ocado and Morrisons are to enter into an online food agreement.
Waitrose struggles to meet demand with in-house online capacity and Phillips’ role will be key. The future of Waitrose’s partnership with Ocado – due to elapse in 2020 with a break clause in 2017 – remains in question.
The affable Phillips, who became ecommerce director in June 2010, has strengthened his team this year, poaching Tony Rivenell from Ocado as Waitrose’s first omnichannel director.
Phillips has his hand on the tiller of one of the John Lewis Partnership’s key growth sectors. Both Waitrose and John Lewis department stores have benefited by allowing customers to pick up John Lewis online orders in the grocer’s stores.
Phillips has a background in corporate finance and strategy, having worked for PwC and Diageo among others. Both skills will be key to Waitrose’s future growth.
24
Ajay Kavan
Vice-president of consumables - Amazon UK
Former Homebase marketing and strategy director Ajay Kavan has been one of Amazon UK boss Chris North’s key lieutenants over the past few years.
As vice-president of consumables, Kavan is in charge of an array of categories including health and beauty, mother and baby and a fledgling grocery offer.
It is grocery that perhaps generates the most interest. Amazon dominates in many categories but, as of yet, grocery is not one of them. At the moment the online giant only sells non-perishable items but it has long been hinted that it has the potential to offer a service to rival Ocado. In fact, analysts believe it is set to launch Amazon Fresh next year in New York. If successful it could be replicated in the UK.
How long before the service makes its way across the pond remains unknown, but Kavan has quietly been building the etailer’s grocery offer to include a raft of FMCG products, which he thinks will play an important role in Amazon’s future.
Not all of Kavan’s time is spent trying to help Amazon take over the world though. He joined the board of In Kind Direct this year, a charity that redistributes products donated by retailers.
25
Simon Pritchard
Group ecommerce director - Arcadia
Arcadia’s global group director of ecommerce, Simon Pritchard, keeps a low profile despite heading the online operations at Sir Philip Green’s empire.
Since he took up the role in 2010, Pritchard has revamped Arcadia’s online presence across all its fascias, making online a “canvas” for the brands, rolling out magazine-like formats, ratings and reviews. He has worked to ensure Arcadia leads the way. This year, Topshop has proven its digital innovation credentials after using everything from Google+ to microcameras on catwalk models.
Pritchard introduced new personalisation technology which increased Arcadia’s average order value by 67% and the average number of products purchased per order by 66% by tracking how a customer behaves on its sites.
He also unveiled a suite of iPad apps to cover its Dorothy Perkins, Burton, Evans, Topman and Wallis businesses this May after the success of its iPhone apps.
Pritchard hopes such innovations will ensure Arcadia’s online sales keep growing. Last year online sales at the fashion group helped drive overall pre-tax and pre-exceptional profits up 26%to £167m.
And as Arcadia aims to open 150 franchise stores next year, online will need to keep up the pace in order to support the expansion.
26
Tanya Lawler
Vice-president of UK trading - EBay
Tanya Lawler started at eBay in October last year and is part of the ecommerce giant’s concerted push to become less online auction house, more full- price retailer.
Lawler’s retail background is first rate – she came to eBay from the position of digital director at Sainsbury’s and has spent her first year consolidating her role as eBay’s UK and Ireland lead.
A talented right-hand woman to European boss Clare Gilmartin, Lawler is playing a central role in developing eBay’s retail offer.
In September eBay unveiled a click-and-collect tie-up with Argos that will enable shoppers to collect their eBay packages from Argos stores.
EBay has proven itself adept at innovation across channels and was one of the first pure-plays to step outside its comfort zone and open physical stores – last Christmas its pop-up in Covent Garden featured augmented reality features and QR codes which allowed customers to order products.
Lawler’s role in building partnerships with retailers means she will have a central role in creating a high street fit for the future and it will be ideas from people like her that will help keep retailers’ store tills ringing.
27
Angela Ahrendts
Chief executive - Burberry
Incoming senior vice-president of retail and online stores - Apple
Credited with transforming luxury retailer Burberry, chief executive Angela Ahrendts is to exit after eight years to join Apple.
Ahrendts will leave Burberry by mid-2014 when she takes up the position of senior vice-president of retail and online stores at Apple. She will oversee the strategic direction of the online operation.
At Burberry, Ahrendts will be replaced by Christopher Bailey, who has been with the retailer since 2001, overseeing consumer technology and digital innovation.
News of Ahrendts’ departure came as Burberry recorded total sales up 14% to £1bn in the six months to September 30.
Burberry’s Regent Street shop is still one of the best examples of in-store digital technology available, and it is one of the relatively few luxury brands to have taken the ecommerce experience and made it its own.
Its digital marketing remains second-to-none – this year, the Burberry Kisses campaign combined interactive technology with its cleverly crafted romantic online image.
Burberry also launched a click-and-collect service this year, becoming one of the few luxury brands to forge a path into multichannel arenas.
28
Sophie Cornish and Holly Tucker
Co-founders - Notonthehighstreet.com
The success of online marketplace Notonthehighstreet.com continues to build as a result of personalised products that help it stand out from the competition.
The site has an average of 2.2 million unique visitors per month, and at the end of 2012 it recorded a total transaction value of £45m.
Since last year’s Etail Power List was published, Notonthehighstreet.com has upped the number of independent craft enterprises selling on its site from 2,500 to more than 3,600.
In a bid to expand on its product categories across all departments rather than just gifting, co-founders Sophie Cornish and Holly Tucker relaunched the website this summer. It now sells more than 80,000 products, ranging from kitchen accessories and lighting to fashionwear and pet hygiene.
The pair are vocal supporters of entrepreneurial small businesses and have done much to help SMEs thrive in the downturn.
Since launching in April 2006, they say they have turned away 90% of applications in cases where they feel the business owner lacks the ability to evolve.
Once signed up, partners are offered the opportunity to take part in webinars, weekly newsletters, and a forum where they can share support and advice.
It’s a model that’s clearly working for the independent start-ups involved and has spawned a new generation of quality handicraft designers.
29
Jonathan Wall
Group ecommerce director - Shop Direct
As group ecommerce director of Littlewoods and Very owner Shop Direct, Jonathan Wall is playing a central role in the latest phase of the retailer’s journey from its big-book heritage to digital leader.
Wall, formerly chief executive of Flowersdirect.co.uk and marketing director of Dabs.com, joined Shop Direct in 2010.
His role is crucial as the retailer focuses on personalisation of the group’s 70,000-SKU range and the growth of m-commerce. Last year mobile accounted for 27% of the retailer’s sales, compared with 17% the previous year.
Shop Direct is entering a new phase under the leadership of chief executive Alex Baldock, who is at number 12 on the Etail Power List. Wall’s success at continuing to develop the ecommerce offer is likely to make a big contribution to, in Baldock’s words, “transforming an old catalogue retailer into a world-class digital retailer.”
30
John Roberts
Chief executive - DRL
Etail group DRL, owner of Ao.com (formerly Appliances Online), is moving closer to a stock market flotation, gaining chief executive John Roberts a place in this year’s Etail Power List.
In September, Roberts hired investment banks Jefferies and JPMorgan to prepare a public listing, which could occur by early next year.
Roberts, who is being advised by Rothschild, could earn £60m from his 20% stake in the company if it floats. The etailer, which may be valued at £300m, sells direct to consumers as well as on behalf of major retailers such as Argos and Next.
The Bolton-based entrepreneur set up DRL in 2000, after having notched up years of experience in the electricals trade. The etail group recorded sales of £275m in the year to March 31, 2012, up from £151.5m the year before.
Last month Ao.com launched a same-day delivery service across the UK.
31
Simon Calver
Chief executive - Mothercare
Coming from the digital world has been an advantage for Mothercare boss Simon Calver as he puts ecommerce at the centre of the business. The former Lovefilm chief executive, who also lists Dell in his previous employment history, has been busy transforming Mothercare’s online offer as part of a three-year turnaround plan.
Changes have come thick and fast since the turnaround got off the ground in April 2011, including the introduction of a value clothing line, a new management team, the launch of a new web platform and app and the culling of 110 stores. One of the biggest developments Calver has overseen has been the ramping up of Mothercare’s delivery service, as click-and-collect was extended to all stores in May.
It’s expected that Calver’s work on delivery, pricing and promotion will help increase online sales, which were up 8.3% in the 13 weeks to October 12, 2013.
Mothercare is also rolling out next-day click-and-collect in Early Learning Centre stores in time for Christmas trading.
32
Jon Rudoe
Director of online, digital and cross-channel - Sainsbury’s
Jon Rudoe took on the role of director of online, digital and cross-channel at Sainsbury’s in March this year, having joined in 2011 as online director.
He is responsible for Sainsbury’s digital strategy, including its online grocery business, which is worth nearly £1bn a year.
Rudoe’s enlarged role comes at an interesting time for Sainsbury’s. Chief executive Justin King said in May the grocer will step up its investment in digital initiatives as it seeks to position the business for an omnichannel future.
Sainsbury’s will invest £1.1bn this year, with a good chunk on digital, including a replatforming of its online grocery operation and development of technology such as Mobile Scan & Go, which lets shoppers scan their shopping on a smartphone.
Rudoe joined Sainsbury’s from Ocado where he was head of retail. He has previously worked in venture capital and consulting.
33
Michael Comish
Group digital officer - Tesco
Blinkbox founder Michael Comish looks poised to become a cornerstone of Tesco’s aggressive push into digital services following his recent promotion to the new role of group digital officer.
With a brief to adopt a customer-led approach to online services, Comish has responsibility for Blinkbox, Tesco’s Clubcard TV arm, ebook business Blinkbox Books and digital music service Blinkbox Music. He will lead a new team of more than 300 working at Blinkbox’s new headquarters in Clerkenwell, London.
Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke describes Comish as part of a new generation of leaders for a new era of retail. The Canadian, who launched Blinkbox along with former Vodafone executive Adrian Letts in 2006, will be given the freedom to express the entrepreneurial streak that has marked him out as a digital leader of note.
34
Anders Holch Povlsen
Chief executive - Bestseller
Anders Holch Povlsen doesn’t appear on the Etail Power List just for his own company’s etail prowess – although Bestseller, the Danish fashion company founded by his family and now owned by him, does have its own extensive online presence.
Povlsen’s real power comes from his ability to spot the next big thing in etail. He is the biggest shareholder in Asos, holding 20% of its shares.
In August this year it was announced that Povlsen had acquired 10% of German etailer Zalando, which has been billed as the next Asos. Not only that, but his large shareholding in Asos means there are constant rumours that he is plotting a takeover of the UK etailer.
His investments are clearly working hard for Povlsen – he quickly identified the opportunity to use Asos and its platform to promote and sell Bestseller’s brands, which include Vero Moda.
The brands are well represented on the site, meaning they benefit from Asos’ increasingly global reach.
35
Shivani Tejuja
Multichannel director - New Look
Shivani Tejuja was handed full responsibility for New Look’s multichannel business this year following the departure of customer and multichannel managing director Guy Lister.
She has an impressive CV including senior management roles at Starbucks, Amazon and Expedia. Tejuja is also a well-known spokeswoman in the industry, contributing to ecommerce debates and conferences.
Multichannel is a key strength of New Look – Newlook.com has 2.5 million visitors per week and online sales soared 50% in its last financial year.
The retailer has revamped its stores to promote cross-channel capabilities. Click-and-collect and order-in-store is available in all of its shops and it uses QR codes and in-store tablets to extend its range.
Its refurbed multichannel store has been rolled out to 145 stores and all remaining shops will be revamped over the next three years.
36
Simon Forster
Director of multichannel - Selfridges
Simon Forster left his role at Debenhams to take up the position of director of multichannel at Selfridges in December last year, and he has since started to overhaul the retailer’s online operations.
Since starting at the iconic department store he has introduced in-store click-and-collect, before making headlines when Retail Week revealed in May that Selfridges will be launching a drive-through click-and-collect service. He has also signalled his intention to push Selfridges to lead the way with multichannel innovation.
While at Debenhams he contributed to surging online sales which jumped 40% in the year to September 1, 2012, according to Kantar Worldpanel. He launched Debenhams’ first overseas site in Germany and increased international delivery from seven to 41 countries.
Forster will hope to deliver similar results at Selfridges, where online sales are progressing to account for 10% of total sales.
37
Rob Feldmann
Chief executive - BrandAlley
Rob Feldmann has had a busy year after leading a management buyout of BrandAlley in January, backed by joint-venture partners News International and BrandAlley France.
Since then the fashion etailer has developed new front- and back-end functions and revamped its look and feel. As sales rose to £33m in the year to December 31, 2012, up 14% year on year, Feldmann has worked to widen the offer, introducing more prestigious brands for a more upmarket customer.
This summer BrandAlley began shipping overseas after moving to a new web platform as it prepares for a full international launch, including country-specific websites. Feldmann also has plans to offer same-day delivery in urban centres such as London.
The etail boss spent part of the year fighting the corner of online retailers against the threat of a potential tax to help ease the burden of business rates on bricks-and-mortar retailers.
Feldmann’s focus is to bring the business, which was set up in 2008, into profit, something he is confident he will deliver in the fourth quarter of 2013.
38
Bertrand Bodson
Digital director - Argos
Bertrand Bodson’s appointment as digital director at Argos represents the changes afoot at the multichannel retailer as it strives to claim a spot as a digital leader.
Like others who have joined retailers as digital commerce has grown in importance, such as Argos boss John Walden or Mothercare chief Simon Calver, Bodson brings a new type of expertise grounded in ecommerce.
Before joining Argos, where he has a seat on the executive board, Bodson was global executive vice-president for digital at music giant EMI. Prior to that he played a key role in building Amazon’s DVD rental arm.
As an entrepreneur, Bodson co-founded Bragster.com – described as a social community for “bragging, boasting and daring” – which is now owned by Guinness World Records.
At the time of Bodson’s appointment in July this year, Walden said he would “spearhead our efforts to make digital channels the primary experience for our customers”.
39
Angela Spindler
Chief executive - N Brown
Angela Spindler is a new entry after making the move into online retail in July, taking up the role of chief executive of home shopping group N Brown.
But she is no stranger to the digital world, after overhauling value retailer The Original Factory Shop in her former position of chief executive. While there, she invested in its IT systems, launched the retailer’s website, introduced a catalogue, and rolled out click-and-collect across the store estate, pulling it into the digital sphere – a move which is still unusual for a value retail player.
Her tenure at The Original Factory Shop was successful and she is expected to thrive at N Brown as well.
As she immerses herself in online retail, her first big project will be to launch N Brown’s plus-size brand, Marisota, in the US, followed by menswear brand Jacamo.
40
Martin Newman
Chief executive - Practicology
Few in the industry have as much experience as Martin Newman.
The Practicology boss has 25 years behind him at retailers including Ted Baker, Burberry and Harrods, and he now uses the knowledge he has built up to advise others on their strategies.
Clients include Wilkinson, Thomas Pink and House of Fraser, which Newman and his team have helped determine how to adapt appropriately to the multichannel age.
Along with Jack Wills boss Peter Williams and Travelocity’s John Crosby, Newman is advising etailer Wiggle on its international growth strategy.
Overseas expansion is something Newman knows much about – demand has been so strong for Practicology’s services in Australia that he has opened an office Down Under.
Newman is prominent at conferences and similar gatherings and is often asked to chair etail events.
41
Michael Ross
Chief scientist - eCommera
Co-founder of one of the UK’s leading etail consultancies, Michael Ross continues to lead the agenda as ecommerce evolves.
eCommera has spent the year focusing on ‘big data’ and has started working with retailers on developing their use of analytics and customer information.
Clients include Space NK and House of Fraser, and Ross continues to drive the etail agenda forward as traditional retailers develop their online offers.
Before eCommera, Ross was an early online pioneer – he founded lingerie specialist Figleaves and built it into an impressive etailer before selling it in the mid-2000s.
His front-line experience gives him a unique insight into how etailing operates.
Ross has become one of the key sources of knowledge for online retailers and, as the company’s services evolve as multichannel develops, he will remain at the centre of etail debates.
42
Simon Harrow
Chief operating officer - Kiddicare
Simon Harrow has had an eventful year as Kiddicare made a splash into physical retail, and the former technology officer now has a place among the etailer’s senior management.
Morrisons-owned Kiddicare’s opening of physical stores has set a new standard for multichannel retailing, integrating digital elements including mobile scanning to create wishlists.
Harrow has become a respected figure in etail. His considered presenting style has caught attention at a number of key industry events and his natural retailing talent means he has thrived in a competitive environment.
He has taken on a greater mantle in the last year following the departures of chief executive Scott Weavers-Wright, brand director Elaine Weavers-Wright and marketing boss Alison Lancaster from the etailer.
Harrow will drive expansion under new chief executive Nigel Robertson.
43
Steve Willett
Chief executive of group productivity and development - Kingfisher
Steve Willett, chief executive of group productivity and development at Kingfisher, has a huge opportunity to transform one of the world’s leading DIY retailers into a multichannel business.
Online sales penetration among DIY retailers has been lacklustre historically, representing on average a low single-digit percentage of overall sales.
However, Willett, who is also chairman of Kingfisher’s multichannel Screwfix business, aims to change that.
As Screwfix chief executive from 2005 to 2012, Willett led one of the most impressive multichannel operations in retail. Used predominantly by trade professionals, Screwfix boasts an eye-poppingly efficient click-and-collect service that enables shoppers to pick up just three minutes after ordering online.
The hope is that Willett can work his magic across the Kingfisher group. Such is the faith in his capabilities that he was appointed to the group executive team in February.
He has helped lead Project Darwin, a three-year initiative almost at its end that encourages the sharing of best practice between Screwfix and B&Q, and will be expected to lead the launch of a new £60m group web platform.
There is a long way to go yet, but Kingfisher can feel comfortable that it has one of the brightest and most experienced digital minds in the DIY world.
In October Willett was charged with leading B&Q’s omnichannel operation after the retailer overhauled its senior management team.
44
Jeremy Fennell
Ecommerce director - Dixons
Dixons lifer Jeremy Fennell has enjoyed a stellar year as the electricals retailer flexed its multichannel muscles to provide a compelling offer.
Dixons consolidated its position as the leader in electricals retail following the collapse of rival Comet. However, Fennell will have to ensure the retailer fends off increasing competition from Ao.com, which is mulling a float, as well as traditional competitors such as John Lewis.
He has held a raft of positions at Dixons since joining the business at 16, including international buying director and PC World marketing manager.
Fennell’s current role puts the core of Dixons’ ecommerce strategy on his shoulders as he combines Currys and PC World’s service offer with a competitive online operation.
Dixons has introduced a number of digital initiatives, such as same-day delivery for small appliances.
45
David Worby
Chief executive - My-Wardrobe.com
After a year at My-Wardrobe.com, David Worby is getting ready to ramp up growth at the business, which secured “significant” funding this summer.
Co-founder Sarah Curran left at the time of the new financing, so Worby is now in full control of the direction of the etailer.
The changes coincided with a shift in direction at the business, which aims to extend its global reach. The autumn 2013 collection focused on emerging designers and offered an extended footwear and luxury handbag range.
Worby has already made some tough decisions since taking up the role – his first chief executive position – in June last year. He decided to drop the menswear offer to concentrate on global growth through women’s fashion.
He will now be driving further international expansion as My-Wardrobe.com prioritises new territory launches in Germany and the US as part of a two-year strategy.
46
David Schneider and Robert Gentz
Co-founders - Zalando
The news that Asos’ largest shareholder, Anders Holch Povlsen, has acquired a 10% stake in rival online player Zalando is a show of faith in the business model that co-founders David Schneider and Robert Gentz have honed since they launched the company in 2008.
In five years Zalando has evolved into one of Europe’s largest pure-play fashion retailers, with 1,500 brands and revenues in excess of £1bn in 2012. It has pointed its guns in the direction of Asos, declaring itself “the UK’s largest online wardrobe”on its website and warns of the store’s “addictive” nature in its debut ad campaign.
Its brash attitude hasn’t always sat comfortably with sellers, however. In July Hugo Boss said it would no longer offer its new collections through the store, claiming Zalando lacked the necessary class.
47
Colin Temple
Managing director - Schuh
Colin Temple has overseen improvements to Schuh’s ecommerce offering with the introduction of a tablet-optimised website and services such as live video chat and check-and-reserve.
The developments came on the back of US footwear giant Genesco acquiring Schuh in June 2011. At its last results, the footwear retailer posted significant improvements on its previous period. Pre-tax profits soared to £25.6m in its year to February 2, compared with an £140,000 pre-tax loss for the 44 weeks to the end of January 2012.
The 100-store retailer has also strengthened its children’s footwear offer with three kids-only stores, an extended range in all stores and a section dedicated to the category on its website.
Fully engaging with customers online and improving conversion rates is one of Temple’s chief priorities for the future. He told delegates at Retail Week Live that the challenge is “all about what the customer wants”.
“If you can measure it, then you can top and tail it,” he summed up.
48
Joe Murray and Richard Tucker
Co-founders - WorldStores
WorldStores founders Joe Murray and Richard Tucker took a big step this year towards achieving their ambition of becoming the ‘Amazon of furniture’.
The entrepreneurs raised £10m from private equity firms following an investment round led by Serena Capital to fund growth.
The etailer has combined more than 400,000 lines with speedy delivery and dedicated websites in niche fields to catch consumers’ attention.
It also turned heads through a tie-up with digital finance company Wonga to offer customers a new online payment tool allowing them to spread the cost of a purchase across three months.
The duo, who founded WorldStores in 2007, have combined their different backgrounds to build the business. Murray is a former City banker while Tucker initially pursued a career in marketing.
The pair have assembled a furniture offer that looks designed for the times.
49
Johnnie Boden
Founder - Boden
For a company whose online sales are 90% of the total, it’s surprising that Boden only hired its first ecommerce director – former Hobbs head of direct Sue MacMillan – in August this year. But while MacMillan will no doubt help the retailer’s online channel forge ahead, the company’s lack of ecommerce lead hasn’t stopped it achieving phenomenal growth.
It helps that Boden’s former primary channel was the catalogue, making its infrastructure perfectly suited to online selling. But infrastructure will only help so much, and Johnnie Boden’s achievement this year has been to use online to fire up international growth. In September it revealed that pre-tax profits had jumped 36% to £24.3m. International sales accounted for 53% of the total.
Boden has quietly got on with building an international ecommerce empire, and the retailer should be closely watched by anyone interested in the direction etail will travel in.
50
Richard Longhurst and Neal Slateford
Co-founders - Lovehoney
Lovehoney’s rapid international growth as a retailer, manufacturer and distributor of sex toys, lingerie and sexy gifts has resulted in the etailer being promoted from ‘Ones to Watch’ to number 50 in this year’s Etail Power List.
In the past 12 months, founders Richard Longhurst and Neal Slateford have been focusing on US expansion after launching in the market two years ago. This April, they kickstarted a marketing push in the US as Lovehoney began selling the official Fifty Shades of Grey collection in the country.
The US product launch came on the back of its successful European debut, where the etailer also holds the licence and has greatly benefited from the Fifty Shades effect.
The fact that staff at Lovehoney were so busy on last December’s ‘Cyber Monday’ that Longhurst and Slateford helped pack boxes in the warehouse speaks volumes about the retailer’s recent success. On December 3, 2012, Lovehoney recorded the busiest day in its history as shoppers rushed online to secure Christmas deals. The etailer said sales rose 53% on the same Monday the previous year.
Even bigger and better things are expected this Christmas and beyond.