PROMOTIONAL RESEARCH

Leaders from Gymshark, Currys, Pets at Home, Levi’s and Beauty Pie are among 59 chief executives that have spoken to Retail Week in-depth about their 2022 strategy as part of a major new report

Retail 2022 is Retail Week’s annual flagship report and this year is produced in association with Reflexis, now part of Zebra Technologies. Now in its tenth year, the report provides retail’s c-suite with a strategic outlook on the year ahead, with exclusive benchmarking data and insight from their peers. 

So, what can you expect from this year’s report?

CEOs feel good about 2022

Retail Week interviewed 53 UK retail CEOs and six international retail CEOs to form a comprehensive view of boardroom sentiment across the globe.

After a pandemic-stricken 2020 and 2021, the overwhelming majority of retailers feel positive about the forecast for the final quarter of 2021 and even more buoyant about next year. 

 

Many of the retailers we spoke to are expecting double-digital growth next year. The chief executive of one fashion retailer said: “We expect to see profits growing next year by maybe 15%. The pandemic has allowed us to restructure the whole business and accelerate lots of activity, whether it’s digital or the wholesale business, or rejuvenating our international business. We’re feeling more bullish than we were pre-pandemic.”

Online is booming – but so are customer expectations

The spike in online sales over the pandemic has been widely reported, but the leaders we spoke to said the challenge is now meeting elevated customer expectations.

Gymshark vice president of international Niran Chana said: “Whether it’s being in stock, on-time delivery or good after-sales service, I think that is now non-negotiable. You’ve got to be at the forefront of that and I think fundamentally that’s what will drive consumer confidence as well.”

 

The retailers we interviewed are rising to meet these challenges with a series of investments and innovations across stores, online, data, marketing, ethical corporate governance and product.

To find out what those investments and innovations look like, download Retail 2022 today. 

Who we spoke to

This groundbreaking strategy report includes a mixture of on-the-record and off-the-record interviews with 59 retail leaders, including:

  • Mathew Gully, chief executive, Allbeauty
  • John Hadden, chief executive, Alshaya Group
  • Panni Morshedi, chief operating officer, Beauty Pie
  • Dawood Pervez, managing director, Bestway Wholesale
  • John Kruijssen, chief executive, Beter Bed Holding
  • Alex Baldock, chief executive, Currys
  • Mike Logue, outgoing chief executive, Dreams
  • Bridget Lea, commercial director, EE
  • Max Heinemann, chief executive, Gebr Heinemann
  • Paul Kraftman, chief executive, Gift Universe
  • Timo Boldt, chief executive and co-founder, Gousto
  • Niran Chana, vice president of international, Gymshark
  • Damian McGloughlin, chief executive, Homebase
  • Ian Watson, chief executive, Hotter Shoes
  • Steve Evers, chief executive, Intersport
  • Beth Butterwick, chief executive, Jigsaw
  • Richard Hurren, senior vice president global direct to consumer, Levi’s
  • Alia Sirina Hawa, managing director UK and Ireland, L’Occitane
  • Mark Saunders, chief executive, Mamas & Papas
  • Claire Davenport, chief executive, Notonthehighstreet
  • Peter Pritchard, group chief executive, Pets at Home
  • Penny Grivea, managing director UK, Rituals
  • Paul Hayes, chief executive, Seasalt
  • Chris Griffin, co-owner, Secret Sales
  • Andreas Holm, general manager, Sportmaster Danmark
  • Paul Kendrick, chief executive, Studio Retail Group
  • Rachel Osborne, chief executive, Ted Baker
  • Anthony Thunström, chief executive, The Foschini Group
  • James Daunt, managing director, Waterstones

Find out what they have to say by downloading your copy of the report today.

Retail 2022 cover screenshot

 

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