From Country Rd & Witchery, to Topshop TopMan Australia, to Hudsons Bay, and now the Cotswold Outdoor Group, James H Stewart sits down with someone who is already a global retail veteran.
Jamie Kristow, is the CEO of Cotswold Outdoor Group, one of the UK's leading specialist outdoor retailers and home to brands including Cotswold Outdoor, Snow+Rock and Runners Need.
Jamie's career has spanned the UK, Australia, South Africa and Canada, with senior leadership roles at House of Fraser, Myer, Country Road Group, Witchery, Woolworths South Africa, Target Australia, Sportsgirl, Hudson's Bay Company and now Cotswold Outdoor Group.
Along the way, he has experienced retail booms, corporate turnarounds, international expansion, the collapse of Topshop Australia, the transformation of department stores and the reinvention of specialist retail in an increasingly digital world.
In this conversation, Jamie shares what he's learned from leading businesses through change, why physical stores remain critically important, and how data, retail media, artificial intelligence and customer experience are reshaping the future of retail.
We also explore the remarkable turnaround of Cotswold Outdoor Group following its 2019 Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), the impact of COVID on the business, and what it takes to grow a retailer that has survived multiple crises.
Whether you're a business owner, retailer, investor, director or simply fascinated by leadership and transformation, this episode is packed with practical insights from someone who has spent his career navigating change at the highest level.
• Jamie's international retail career across four countries
• Lessons from the collapse of Topshop Australia
• The turnaround and growth trajectory of Cotswold Outdoor Group
• Why physical stores still matter in an omnichannel world
• Retail media and the next generation of customer engagement
• AI, data and the future of retail
• Sustainability, premiumisation and changing consumer behaviour
• Leadership lessons from more than 30 years in retail
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Connect with James Stewart
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-h-stewart-gaicd-83b46a9/
Website: https://jameshstewart.com
Disclaimer
The views expressed by guests on What I Learned in Business (That Didn't Kill Me!) are their own and are provided for general information and discussion purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the host and should not be relied upon as financial, legal, investment or professional advice. Listeners should seek independent professional advice before making decisions based on the matters discussed in this episode.
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