Retail expert Clare has spent over 20 years helping retailers, from global brands to independents, to stay relevant, resilient and profitable. The self-styled Retail Champion says she specialises in “insight-led strategies and data-driven decisions that cut through confusion/noise and deliver real results”.
How might a child describe what you do?
"Mum tells shops what to do better so they can make more money."
What’s the biggest long-term challenge you face?
Keeping pace with a retail sector that changes daily, and cutting through the noise for businesses that can’t afford to guess.
If you had 10x your working budget, what would you spend it on?
Real-time data tools for every independent retailer – and a touring series of practical training days up and down the UK that high street businesses could drop in to and pick up some top tips.
What would be the title of your autobiography?
From Flipping Burgers to Flipping Busy! In 2007 I actually did a talk with this title for the Make Your Mark in Retail campaign. It was aimed at 14+ kids to position retail as a career of choice – but I think it’s apt, as my first management job was with McDonalds!
What does ‘work/life balance’ mean to you?
Having the ability to go out for a leisurely lunch, but making sure if an important call or email comes in I can address it. I have a very fluid work day – I start early as I have dogs who get up at 6am demanding a walk! I often take a chunk of time out in the middle of the day – I love to cook, so I might do some prep for dinner or go for a walk or pop out for a nice lunch ... then I go back to my desk later.
It is about doing what is necessary to keep promises to clients, keep the business going, but without forgetting that life is too short to work 60 hours a week, and to enjoy those gaps in the diary between calls.
Who’s been your most influential professional mentor?
A wonderful lady called Sue Blake, who sadly passed away in 2012 and never got to see my first book published, even though she was the one who pushed me to write it and helped me connect with my publisher. It would have to be Sue, or my dad – one of the most successful businesspeople I’ve ever known.
I learned more about running a resilient business from helping out in the family fine furnishings factory as a child than any boardroom ever taught me. It was all mail order, MTO – pre-internet, but ahead of its time with a vertically integrated supply chain. At the age of 14 I worked with him to document all the processes and procedures, to install systems and so on, which led to the business being the first of its kind to be awarded BS5750 for total quality management – a huge value-add for his exit a few years later!
What advice would you give your younger self?
Charge what you’re worth, say “no” sooner, and trust your instincts – if it feels off, it probably is!
What’s the biggest myth about our industry?
That footfall is dead. It’s not dead, it’s just picky. If you don’t give people a reason to show up, they won’t.
What should everyone in our industry either stop or start doing?
Stop chasing cheap supply for the sake of margin alone, and start building supply chains that actually deliver. Create moments of joy in the customer experience – it is the small things that get you talked about.
Where do you see the industry going in the next 5-10 years?
Closer sourcing, faster fulfilment, smarter stock management – or extinction. The middle ground is gone. The successful businesses will embrace technology such as AI and use it to their advantage without losing the critical human touch.
What question do you wish we’d asked? How would you have answered?
Q: What single mindset shift will save retail?
A: Stop treating change (and especially technology) like an inconvenience – treat it like your competitive edge. If you won’t, someone else will.
Clare's interview featured in July's issue.
