Robert Gray Email & Phone Number

Leicester, Gb

• RGA provides effective, creative, and commercial solutions achieved from 30 years of supporting businesses from concept to completion• Working as a Retail Design Consultant, applying extensive in-house branding experience to enhance clients’ commercial strategies• Optimising budgets by providing flexible and reusable design solutions with integral sustainability• Managing the balance of aspiration, expectation, budget, programme, creativity, and deliverablesAchievement Highlights...• Providing design development, project management, cost control, production and contractor supervision for a complex high-profile flagship international project safely landed for the L’Oréal Group during the height of Covid Lockdowns. Co-ordinated the UK-based client, New York-based creative, Paris-based funding, and a UK-based manufacturer. When Covid restrictions ruled out travel, I instigated a video of a 'dry-build' in the UK to explain the build to a Portuguese fit-out team – a commitment to succeed and a level of care in design that the client described as ‘outstanding’• Provided the design concept, detail development, production, and installation of a multi-brand kiosk pop-up in the premium Westfield shopping mall. The project had been declined by others due to its extremely short programme. Entirely via Zoom, I ensured the project was developed, presented, negotiated, and approved between approximately 30 stakeholders in four countries. This was a break-through opportunity for seven international brands, new to the UK, in a key mall in the run-up to Christmas 2021• Designed and delivered a new customer journey for the Harvey Nichols own-bought ‘Beyond Beauty’ department. Created categories by consumer interests, located relevant brand products, and introduced brand communication of ingredients and benefits. Led the project beyond design and fit-out with value-creation and future-proofing by means of a consultation facility, and a monthly launch and promotion focus

• Defined and executed merchandising strategy and activity plan to deliver on commercial objectives• Managed and developed design solutions to support a range of strategic marketing programmes• Collaborated with sales teams, support services and financial teams, ensuring coordination of all commercial activitiesAchievement Highlights...• Developed a team of seven executives without project management experience at Clarins, who within five years, were highly respected throughout the industry, able to run their own large and multiple projects of between £15,000 and £250,000. Led by example, empowered them to believe in themselves, and nurtured a team-support culture. By 2019, the three senior Project Managers and myself collectively offer more than 100 years of brand experience and knowledge• Personally instigated working behind the counter across all department store groups to improve my understanding. Findings were common to all locations – the brand was confusing both teams and consumers. Core brand values and world-renowned skincare products needed re-focusing; there was a significant imbalance in expenditure on supporting core business and supporting promotional and launch activity vs their respective balance of turnover. All y recommendations were applied in the following months• Personally instigated a review of the retail market and the relevance of the Clarins in-store design concept, the different store groups, and how sales of the key product franchises were affected by varying consumer profiles, expectations, shopping habits, and geographic influences. My fully costed report illustrated how we could adjust, enhance and deliver a more appropriate consumer experience by store group, by varying the ‘tone of voice’, the balance of facilities and investment per sqm all within existing budgets. The work empowered investment decisions, design strategy and operational behaviour

• Subsequent to delivering 10 major key flagship installations throughout continental Europe, I provided the design concept, detailed design development, project and production management and site supervision for the Clarins Group number-one account in the US – the high-profile, strategically important Bloomingdales, 59th St NYC.• Negotiated the design through approval directly with the store’s senior stakeholders and consultants and successfully challenged the prevailing desire for the build to be managed and manufactured locally• Simultaneously with my UK responsibilities, the whole build was produced in the UK, air-freighted to New York, installed over three nights, on time, and 45% under budget• Within 12 months, the Clarins store ranking had risen from No18 to No3• The following year, Bloomingdales provided a similar high-profile opportunity in Boston that I delivered

• Revolutionised the layout of Clarins’ counter design following a personally instigated, budgeted, and negotiated fact-finding tour of the service-led department store markets of Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Sydney to understand how this influenced consumer engagement• Presented to the board opportunities and recommendations evidenced by video footage, photographs and supporting sketches from 46 department stores and 20 shopping mall visits• Successfully negotiated an immediate change in the ‘sales-led’ mindset of till units at the first point of consumer contact at the front of the counter relegating them to the lower value rear areas. Consumer engagement changed from transactional to experiential• Subsequently, I successfully argued for the removal of all visible selling stock from the reception area of all Clarins Skin Spas where the emphasis was on tranquillity, relaxation and professional face and body treatments• Treatment sales increased, product sales increased, and the store group demand for Skin Spas delivered 40 new openings in eight years

• Devised, spearheaded, and implemented a new concept modular kit to support the company’s strategic marketing campaigns for product launches, promotions, brand events and unscheduled pop-up opportunities and temporary retail sites• KPIs I personally set were surpassed; the concept eradicated waste, reduced storage costs, dramatically reduced our carbon emissions being manufactured from 100% recycled materials, remains 100% recyclable at end of life, required smaller vehicles, reduced installation time and costs and required minimal refurbishment• The kit reduced planning and management time and allowed for accurate quoting and faster decision-making• The kit had strong visual impact, greater consumer call-to-action, consumer service and engagement options, flexibility for different footprints; it was understood by retailers resulting in efficient approvals and increased opportunities giving Clarins UK a significant competitive edge• Created in 1998, upscaled and improved in 2004 with a ‘sister’ kit for premium flagship stores the year-one savings were 50% of the planned budget spend this making the equivalent of an £8m contribution to sales• The design and the original fixtures themselves were still in service 20 years later in 2019

Market Harborough

• Reported to the Managing Director• Solely responsible for managing the company’s top client and four additional premium clients• Business development and wraparound care• Client and store-group facing• Understanding and developing strategies and design briefs• Preparing concept presentations to clients and their store group partners.• Detailed construction drawings and, following a tender process, negotiating costs• Managing each project through manufacturing and production• Personally merchandising each installation and handing over the site to the client

Market Harborough, England, United Kingdom

• Reported to the Managing Director• Complete A-Z process through concept preparation, development drawings, tender packages, and the manufacturing and installation of multiple projects • A client and store-facing role, with total responsibility for the delivery of projects• Developing projects through various sub-contract skills and processes: shopfitting, metal fabrication, plastic fabrication, vac-forming and injection moulding and printing

Bachelor Of Arts, 3D Design & Furniture, First Class Honours

Activities and Societies: University Volleyball Team

Mind-Setting, Creating Strategy, Testing And Evaluating, Team Building

Brand Innovation, Profit Creation, Risk Management, Geopolitics, And Strategy Development.

Management Training, Leadership, Effective Team Building, Developing People, Andchange Management.

The Legal Framework, Finance, Negotiation, Project Management, And Marketing Design

Foundation Course In Art & Design, Fine Arts, Design, Illustration & 3D., Distinction

Activities and Societies: League Volleyball

O Levels & A Levels, Mixed A-C Grades.

Activities and Societies: Football, Cricket, Volleyball, Badminton, Tennis.