Coming from a background in financial services, Hamish entered the world of furniture retail in 2003, when he joined The White Company as FD. From there, he went on to work for ski clothing and equipment retailer Snow&Rock, before taking the helm of iconic British retailer Heal’s in 2015. His tenure to date has seen him oversee significant changes in the business, modernising much of it while preserving the heritage for which it is famed, while championing the work of new furniture designers.
How might a child describe what you do?
The boss of a big furniture shop in London.
What’s the biggest long-term challenge you face?
Staying relevant – especially in the face of fewer people physically coming to stores.
If you had 10 x your working budget, what would you spend it on?
Brand awareness.
What does ‘work/life balance’ mean to you?
Work hard, but try to completely switch off when you stop work.
Who’s been your most influential professional mentor?
Neil McCausland, my chair at Snow&Rock, who really instilled a sense of self belief when I was first acting as CEO there.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Follow your gut – you’ll mostly be right, and even if you’re not, you’ll learn a lot from the failure.
What’s been your best day in business to date?
There are loads. My best day of the year is our internal ‘bake off’ because I get to judge about 20 different cakes!
Coming back after Covid was brilliant. Re-opening a 200-year-old store at Tottenham Court Road after a massive refurbishment was fabulous. And financially, returning Heal’s to profit after almost two decades of losses was incredibly satisfying.
What should everyone in our industry either stop or start doing?
Stop copying other people and come up with your own s***!
Where do you see the industry going in the next 5-10 years?
More polarisation between success and failure. More fallout as a consequence. More online, obviously, but supported by better web tools and improved retail estates.
This interview featured in June's issue.
