Coutts Woman

Retailing all the way

She’s perfectly groomed, wearing a flattering black and white jacket nipped in at the waist over black trousers, set off by long dangling earrings also in this season’s black and white.  Fashion is clearly important to Beverley Aspinall, the managing director of Fortnum & Mason. And it was her interest in fashion that originally brought her into retailing.

When Beverley graduated from York University in 1981, with a degree in linguistics, she wanted to be a fashion buyer and headed off to John Lewis. She says, “I was advised John Lewis had the best graduate training scheme, which it probably still does today. I went into the John Lewis Partnership thinking it would be OK for six months and here I am in retailing 27 years later.”

The graduate scheme provided Beverley with a solid foundation in retailing. She explains, “I did stints on the selling floor, on display and dispatch where you spend a couple of days out on the van, and looked at the finance side of things. So you moved around the departments to get a pretty broad view and then took up the first junior management position.” However, as it turned out, fashion only featured three times in her early career.

“I didn’t set out with ambitions to be a chief executive. Most of it came along of its own right. Retailing is a good career for women as there are no barriers.”

Beverley worked in the ladies fur department in Milton Keynes where she says, “silver foxes did quite well.” And in men’s underwear and hosiery, which might be considered a bit of a fashion backwater.  Add to that, childrenswear buyer, and you begin to realise fashion wasn’t going to be her main driving force. And when she was approached by a headhunter to take on the role of managing director at Fortnum’s, she grabbed the opportunity. You could say it was a result of being in the right place at the right time, which would make sense to Beverley who says she believes in fate.

The Fortnum’s ‘prize’ must in some way stem from her position as managing director of Peter Jones in Chelsea which she took over in 1997. Many will remember the old shop, which gave more than a passing nod to the era of the old-fashioned department store. In 1999 the company announced its flagship outlet would be given a massive facelift. And five years and £107 million later, the ‘new’ Peter Jones was unveiled. The store managed to keep trading during the makeover and the person at the helm was Beverley. So, who better to appoint as managing director of Fortnum & Mason at the beginning of a very similar two-year refurbishment. Beverley says it’s a challenge she couldn’t refuse. Now every day she’s in her hard hat, boots and protective clothing watching the store being transformed, ready for its tercentenary and official re-opening in October this year.

Beverley comments, “Unlike my position at John Lewis this is a stand alone business. The crucial element is having a clear vision of what needs to be done and sticking to it through thick and thin. It’s about structure, people, products, packaging and business in every area. It’s important to keep your eye two years out from where you want to be, but not be inflexible.”

During the refurbishment at Fortnum & Mason it’s been business as usual in some areas. However, as with any change, certain elements have been removed. Fashion and hairdressing have disappeared. The ‘new’ store will feature an open atrium up to the roof revealing the shop’s themed floors, focussing on entertaining and celebration. Five restaurants will take the shopper from breakfast to dinner. For the sweet-toothed there’s the hot chocolate bar serving chocolate, ice cream and treats. And when Beverley comments it’s “naughty but nice” her eyes light up.

Beverley says, “The restaurant business is relatively new for me, although I did work with chefs at Peter Jones.” At Fortnum’s she says, “Shaun Hill works with our chefs. It’s good classic English food with good ingredients.”

Fortnum’s is perhaps best known for its food halls, which under the new scheme have doubled in size. But the trick is to encourage the customer into other areas and bring them back.  Beverley says, “It’s a big job to rebuild turnover. You have to focus on other things as well like the website and the catalogue.” Trade in Japan, where Fortnum’s stores are increasing from seven to 20, and mail order to America, are both doing well. And Beverley comments, “In Russia they’re selling like hot cakes.”

The 21^st century Fortnum’s will retain the familiar eau de nil colour and some original features, but benefit from the modernising help of designers such as David Collins, best known for his work for Madonna. The distinctive Fortnum’s colouring will also be evident this summer at the Chelsea Flower show where the company will have its first show garden designed by Robert Myers. When Beverley talks about the fences being made from the same wicker as Fortnum’s famous hampers and the use of the company’s own beehives, it’s clear this won’t be just a passing interest. She says, “I’m a very keen gardener. I have a big garden I adore.”

Beverley embraces life both at work and play. Married for five years, with two teenage children, she was a single mum for some time. When she had her children, two years apart, she says, “At that time things didn’t progress all that quickly.” She had more time off with her son and went from a senior position to a Saturday job. From there she progressed into a junior post and 18 months later was back in a senior role. Beverley says, “I always do the best I can. I’m definitely a perfectionist. It’s about having vision and having the ability to stick to it.” She says she’s ‘socially very quiet’, meaning introversion is a natural trait, which she admits in the work arena people ‘can’t believe’. Being personable is she says, “Part of my job. I’ve had to do it.”

At home Beverley’s happy to get stuck into the garden or pick up the oboe. She says, “The oboe is one of my passions. I’ve played regularly since I was 11 years old and have always played in orchestras. It’s quite tricky.”  One suspects ‘tricky’ is what attracted her to it, as Beverley seems to be a woman who enjoys rising to the challenge. She’s living in her seventh house in the last five years, in Suffolk, where she spends three days a week. The other four days she lives in her London house to be close to work. Of her job she says, “It’s hard work. You can’t do this on six hours a day. You need vision, self-motivation, determination and sometimes you need broad shoulders.”

Beverley is relishing the run-down to the 300^th birthday celebrations, with the jewel in the crown being the unveiling of the £240 million overhaul. The company that brought Mr Heinz baked beans to the UK in 1886, and has Royal Warrants dating back 150 years, has a list of October celebrations to welcome it’s re-entry into the modern marketplace.

Beverley comments, “I didn’t set out with ambitions to be a chief executive. Most of it came along of its own right. Retailing is a good career for women as there are no barriers.” However, one suspects if there had been barriers that Beverley and her work ethics would have successfully jumped over them.