// Peter Cowgill: retailers “should always focus on the micro” amid tough times to ensure they stay afloat and relevant
// “What the winners do is benefit from the fact that the marginal operators tend to fail when life gets tough”
Former JD Sports boss Peter Cowgill has emphasised that retailers can still win despite trading during challenging environments.
Speaking at this year’s Retail Technology Show, the retail veteran, who is chairman at The Fragrance Shop, said that retailers “should always focus on the micro” as there’s “not a lot we can do about” the bigger pictutre.
Cowgill explained that tough conditions tend to benefit major retailers in the long run. He said: “What the winners do is benefit from the fact that the marginal operators tend to fail when life gets tough.”
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Business should differentiate with their customer proposition and instil this within their teams to “win despite the environment.”
“We can’t do anything about the war in Ukraine but we can do something about differentiating yourself from your competitors and that’s the winning mentality.”
Last year, The Fragrance Shop named Cowgill as its first non-executive chairman.
Cowgill, who took up the role immediately, now works closely with chief executive Sanjay Vadera and his leadership team as The Fragrance Shop steps up its growth plans.
The retailer is set to open the doors to a new “experiential” store on London’s Oxford Street this summer.
The 2,300 sq ft flagship will feature an eight-metre double-height frontage at 70/88 Oxford Street, marking the perfume retailer’s first shop at the famous shopping strip.
The Fragrance Shop is currently expanding its store estate as it looks to offer customers the convenience of mixing shopping online with in-store.
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