How to be a successful Luxury Retailer

1. Stephen Rhead
Luxury Retail specialist
How to build a successful
retail business.

2. Store management
I established the concept for Bang & Olufsen UK, the
concept went on to be the retail format for the rest of
the world.
Here are just a few ways that the concept succeeded:
Excellent customer service; Coffee and pastries, polite
•
and friendly.
Data capture; so that customer contact can be
•
maintained.
Housekeeping; daily cleaning and do not forget back of
•
store.
Merchandising; keep store up to date and fresh.
•
Marketing; In store Events, database mailings etc.
•
Product placement; local car showrooms, Hotels, cafes
•
etc.
Training and coaching; weekly training and ongoing
•
coaching.
„ Never say no, always find the solution‟; never turn a
•
potential customer away.
Make the demonstration entertaining; “we sell
•
entertainment products!”
These are just a few of the ways I helped to create a
successful retail concept. Retail is not Rocket science,
yet so many get it wrong.

3. Store planning and project
management

4. Between 2000 and 2005 I planned and project managed the opening of 40 stores across
the UK. Careful site selection, lease negotiation, appointment of shop fitter, shop fit
management, merchandising, staff recruitment, staff training and snagging are all
amongst my skills.
All stores started with a basic plan, the store
was then carefully designed to maximize the
use of space. The way the footfall flows
through the store is carefully managed
allowing the customer to view all items
displayed.
The store design should allow for trouble-free
merchandise change. The product layout
should encourage sales.
Constant monitoring of the store allows for
easy changes, allowing a vibrant and exciting
store to exist.

5. Property locations and finding the correct site
With over 90 potential sites in the UK, I project managed the
opening of 40 stores; Aberdeen, Edinburgh, York, Harrogate,
Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Derby, Nottingham,
Leicester, Peterborough, Lincoln, Norwich, Cambridge,
Colchester, Chelmsford, Loughton, Chelsea, Kensington,
Harrods, Selfridges, Winchmore Hill, Hampstead, Ruislip,
Beaconsfield, Marlow, Windsor, Reading, Newbury,
Southampton, Salisbury, Winchester, Bournemouth, Maidstone,
Eastbourne, Wimbledon, Sevenoaks, Horsham, Kingston,
Selfridges, South Molton Street and Royal Tunbridge Wells. I
dealt with all aspects of these store openings including:
•Property location; links with established property agent to
ensure that the correct sites are secured.
•Shop Fitters; Links with several UK shop fitters and ability to
negotiate costs.
•M&E specification.
•Hidden cable solution.
•Managing VM team.
•Product layout to maximise sales, working with product
managers.
•Logistics to ensure store opens on time.
•Cost management to bring project within budget.
•Design ideas and implementation, based on low cost
development.

6. Area management
Marketing.
London
20000000
Database management.
18000000
Training and Coaching.
16000000
14000000
Health & Safety.
12000000
Target led and
successfully increased
10000000
regional turnover.
London
8000000
Recruited staff for the
London region.
6000000
Created business plans
to achieve business
4000000
growth.
2000000
Niche retailing a
speciality
0
Training of new area
2005 2006 2007
managers

7. B2B commercial management

8. Created documents to introduce
potential UK business partners to the
brand.
Commercial business increased from
£800k to £1.9m during the period Sept
07 – May 08.
Commercial sales can help raise sales
when the stores are missing footfall
customers. Hotels, Architects, Interior
Designers, Blue Chip Head quarters Etc.
Can all add to the brand awareness
along with increased sales,