Glenn Pollard - Head of Merchandising for Jewelleryand Cosmetics at Claire's

"I've always been seriously impressed by Claire's appetite for growth. When I first joined, they were expanding into new territories across Europe and it was, and continues to be, a really exciting time. I also enjoy working with an ambitious niche brand. Claire's is one of the only retailers out there that truly understands the tween and teen demographic."

"I'm currently Head of Merchandising for jewellery and cosmetics. I'm very proud of what we've achieved. We've had a brilliant year of growth and we've built a strong platform to take the business forward. I work with a team of talented Merchandisers and Associate Merchandisers. It's my job to help them make great business decisions. We look at budgets and spend, at how we're targeting the customer and the products we're buying into. Along with the Head of Buying, we give teams the direction and support they need to be outstanding. And variety? You bet. In the morning I could be in a product review with the team. After that, it's presenting to senior managers on the performance of our areas, or talking to my American counterparts about their bestsellers."

"We cater to a young female market here, a market that adores our products. We carry that passion and enjoyment across everything we do -- and the way we do it. We're surrounded by our products here at the European Head Office in Birmingham. We've three model stores which are fully ranged, right down to the tills. This means that we can see exactly what a range will look like in store."

"Things move quickly. Really quickly. I can sit with my team to talk about what they need to do to drive sales and then, 48 hours later, there's a new range in store. We're fast, and that's one of the key advantages we have over other companies. We work a lot with our North American colleagues. UK teams head off on buying trips four times a year with their US colleagues. As well as being a great chance to socialise, build bonds, even have a few drinks, it's incredibly productive. The better we all get on, the better we can work together."

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