The retail consultancy, Agile Retail, exists to reduce the risk & increase the profitability of operating retail stores. Whether for a product or eCommerce brand looking to physically retail for the first time, an experienced retailer to have stores off balance sheet, an international retailer putting a toe into the UK market or an existing retailer to run experiements beyond outside their own operation.
The unique offer to find, design and operate retail stores was born from iD, an experiential marketing agency that has 30 years’ engaging consumers with brands.
Building relationships for the long term, Agile Retail operates all UK retail for IQOS – helping thousands to quit smoking. But often the relationships start with one store. Like Bricoteca, a creative hub built as an experiment in South London for German industrials group Henkel (and their Sellotape, Pritt & Loctite consumer brands).
The consultancy has now formalised a relationship with three experienced retailers and formed an Advisory Board. As well as providing strategic guidance and insights to the leadership team to help them navigate growth, the Advisory Board will add wisdom and ideas through ‘non-executive oversight’ on all client projects.
Suzanne Harlow was CEO of Jack Wills, under the ownership of Blue Gem Capital Partners. Before which she was on the board of Debenhams. She comments “those of us that care about the health of our industry have a duty to find and promote solutions that widen opportunities to make physical retail profitable, which is why I’m pleased to be spending time with the team at Agile Retail and their clients.”
Alongside Suzanne’s years of operational retail is Rick Murray, recently leaving Accenture after 23 years as Partner heading retail and running projects with many of the world’s largest retailers. “Retailers have many places to look for help. But none provide a comprehensive and flexible set of practical retail solutions that cover all the nitty gritty detail that is retail. Agile Retail take the theory in a PowerPoint deck and make it real on the High Street.“
With operational experience including the John Lewis Partnership, consulting with ?WhatIf!, the global innovation consultancy, and venture capital investing, Matthew Cushen is the third member of the Advisory Board. “I believe physical retail is on the cusp of a renaissance - consumers value wonderful experiences, whilst brands and retailers are starting to reassess the value of physical versus digital presence. But it is hard to bring innovation to market. The Agile Retail approach de-risks innovation and operations.“
The CEO of Agile Retail, Marcus Fox, said, “Suzanne, Rick and Matthew have been friends of Agile Retail from when we created the proposition three years ago. We are pleased now to be channelling their contribution even more productively within a structure that clashes their different experiences together for maximum impact – on us and our customers.”
For more please contact:
Marcus Fox, CEO, Agile Retail