International Women's Day 2022: London's Retail Leaders
In celebration of International Women's Day 2022, TheIndustry.fashion spoke to London's female retail leaders, asking how they make their mark in the industry and what improvements can still be made for women.
Looking at issues including sustainability, inclusivity and innovation, these women represent the unity, celebration, advocacy and action that International Women's Day is all about.
TheIndustry.fashion put three important questions to these inspirational women:
Hannah Grievson, Property Director at Sloane Stanley
What achievements in the last two years would you like to personally celebrate?
It’s been a difficult couple of years for retailers, but with our help, most of the Sloane Stanley tenants were able to weather the storm. Not only did we help our tenants with short term financial assistance but we re-geared leases and introduced turnover rents to help support our tenants throughout the pandemic. This not only ensured businesses on the Estate survived successive lockdowns, but it also cultivated a real sense of community in the area that has continued to emulate.
What can be done to help make the retail and property industry more equal and inclusive, especially towards helping more women reach senior positions?
In comparison to the property industry, retail is substantially more equal and inclusive. We have many female entrepreneurs on the Estate with over 35% of our shops on the King’s Road owned by women. However, there is always room for improvement and we believe one of these ways is through mentoring and encouraging women to create business networks.
We regularly hold events for our tenants to meet each other and we try to support our entrepreneurs by creating groups such as the Design Collective where the design retailers can meet and exchange ideas and come up with suggestions to encourage business in the area. We see this same gender balance translated within the Sloane Stanley management team, with women being the majority force – this is something we are very proud of, and actively nurture with our more junior staff to enable them to reach senior positions.
Who is a female role model that you admire?
Audrey Hepburn - she did so many great things. She was a humanitarian, a dancer, an actress, a member of the Dutch resistance and a style icon. She was also known for being down to earth and a lovely person, so truly inspirational.
Caitriona Hunter, Director at CBRE Investment Management
What achievements in the last two years would you like to personally celebrate?
The retail sector was hit particularly badly by COVID and it was a very worrying time for the industry. On a personal level, the impact on many of us was huge too – many people were juggling home schooling, caring for elderly parents as well as doing our jobs.
Two years on, we emerge post-COVID with strong business plans, great relationships with our tenant partners, bank credibility as asset managers, all of which delivers a sense of optimism. This is demonstrated in the number of leasing deals that are currently under offer at our various schemes. I’m also excited about our ESG approach, which not only focuses on carbon and waste, but also on the social value side where we continue to support our local communities. I am proud of how we have weathered the storm.
What can be done to help make the retail and property industry more equal and inclusive, especially towards helping more women reach senior positions?
In my view, flexibility of working has always been key to allowing women to remain in the industry once they have had children, with that feeding through to management levels. Flexibility for partners means a better balance in workload at home, which helps equality and again should feed through to management levels.
COVID has changed working practices with three days in the office establishing itself as the norm, from what we see so far. This is great for allowing women to flourish while balancing home life. There is also growing protection for Menopausal women, who historically (and horrifically!) often lost their jobs when struggling with the symptoms of menopause – many companies now provide advice and support.
Who is a female role model that you admire?
It’s hard to pick one female role model, but I would have to say Constance Markievicz – she became the first-ever female MP elected to the House of Commons in 1918 – she followed the Irish abstentionist policy of the time and refused to take her seat.
She gave away her vast wealth, and died a pauper's death five years later "among the poor where she wanted to be." She was a disruptor and changed the course of history, at a time when women were expected to be raise children and little else! She was an incredibly strong woman.
Maggie Milosavljevic, Commerical Director at LabTech
What achievements in the last two years would you like to personally celebrate?
All of our markets are home to a huge number of independent businesses, over 660 in fact, so retaining them in this incredibly challenging time has been a huge success. On top of that, introducing some totally unique immersive experiences to Camden is definitely something worth celebrating, and they will no doubt help support our amazing community of retailers for years to come.
We have also extended the Camden Market portfolio in the past two years, launching two brand-new sites. The UK’s first eco-conscious consumer market, Buck Street, opened in Summer 2020, and just over a year later we launched the first phase of Hawley Wharf. Everyone at LabTech has worked tirelessly to make these happen, to provide new opportunities for businesses and tempt people back to physical destinations, so to open both was a massive achievement for us.
What can be done to help make the retail and property industry more equal and inclusive, especially towards helping more women reach senior positions?
Flexibility is so important. The world is much more dynamic now, especially in retail, so working hours need to be flexible to match it. I also want to see more support with childcare, regardless of seniority. So many talented women feel pressure to leave work and stay at home with their children due to costs, which can set them back when they return. A proper support network will help businesses retain their staff, and create for them the right kind of work-life balance that benefits all parties.
The salary gap is of course another thing that needs to be effectively addressed. Improvements are there for all to see in some areas, but we haven’t reached equality, and more needs to be done across all sectors.
Who is a female role model that you admire?
My mum is my biggest role model. 25 years ago she came to London on her own, from a small town in Bulgaria. How she managed to organise this, and settle in the UK, without any help is something I still find remarkable to this day. Her bravery to completely uproot her life for a new opportunity has instilled in me a drive to be successful and make the most of my opportunities here.
