Celebrity ExpertsMary Portas OBE is recognised as the UK’s foremost authority on retail and brand communication.
The British media have crowned Mary “Queen of Shops”.
Beginning her retail career at John Lewis, Harrods, and Topshop, Mary joined Harvey Nichols and progressed to the Board as Creative Director in 1989.
Portas led Harvey Nics’ transformation into a world-renowned fashion store.
In 1997, Mary launched her agency, producing challenging campaigns and championing brand development for clients, including Clarks, Louis Vuitton, Oasis, Swarovski, Dunhill, Boden, Thomas Pink, Patek Philippe and Westfield.
Television:
Inspired by her weekly ‘Shop!’ column in the Telegraph Magazine, Mary’s television career began in 2007 when her efforts to rescue failing independent boutiques were documented in the BBC2 series Mary Queen of Shops. The show was nominated for two Royal Television Society Awards and a BAFTA.
Other shows include:
- Mary, Queen of Charity Shops
- Mary Portas: Secret Shopper
- Mary, Queen of Frocks
- Mary’s Bottom Line
- Mary, Queen of the High Street
Author:
Mary has published three books, Windows: The Art of Retail Display and How to Shop. In February 2015, she released Shopgirl, a memoir of her early years. She has also developed a series of masterclasses on successful retailing.
Rebuild – How to Thrive in the New Kindness Economy
How we live, buy and sell is changing, and it’s changing for good. Mary’s book ‘Rebuild‘ is a vital guide to reset post-pandemic and build back better.
Mary discusses that over the past thirty years, purchases have been dominated by the biggest, fastest and cheapest. But those values no longer resonate. We’ve come to realise that more doesn’t equal better.
We are all ready to put people and the planet before profit. The ‘Kindness Economy’ is a new value system where, to thrive, businesses must understand the fundamental role they play in the fabric of our lives. Because we don’t just want to buy from brands – we want to buy into them.
Full of expert insight and invaluable advice, Rebuild is about resetting the dial. It gives businesspeople pause for thought about how to make money, as well as the practical tools to build back post-pandemic. And it speaks to anyone who votes with the pound in their pocket – all of us who, with social progress in mind, want to spend our money differently and better.
The Portas Review:
Mary’s continued advocacy of our High Streets led to her receiving a commission from the British Government to lead an independent review.
The Portas Review outlined 28 recommendations to rescue failing High Streets. The Government, retailers and the public supported her plan, and Mary’s work has been a catalyst for community regeneration and the re-visioning of high streets across the country. The Government committed funds of over £10million to support the findings of her Review.
Mary was awarded a Doctorate of Letters in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of marketing and brand communication within the retail sector.
Mary Portas OBE – Keynote Speaker:
As a popular guest speaker, Mary is invited to deliver keynote speeches at events all around the world to leading brands on topics such as:
- Consumer Behaviour
- Rebuild – The Kindness Economy
- Retailing
- Retail Strategy
- Branding
- Management
- Marketing
- Customer Experience
- Retail Challenges
