A Day in the Life - Retail Executive
For thousands of women, shopping is a passionate pastime, but for Colette Garnsey it’s serious business.
When Colette Garnsey left school she began a management cadetship with a major Australian department store. She never imagined that 25 years later she’d be internationally recognised as a key player in the retail world; jetsetting around the globe, meeting with top fashion designers, and making decisions that would change the very core of Australia’s oldest department store. As group general manager of apparel, cosmetics, footwear and accessories for David Jones, that’s exactly what Colette’s life now entails, but for this unassuming, focused woman, it’s just another day at the office.
5.30am: Three times a week, Colette watches the sun rise from her home in Sydney’s Rose Bay as she prepares for an early morning workout. Other days, she’ll treat herself to a sleep-in until at least 5.45am, then have breakfast with her husband Andrew, who works in the financial services industry. “He doesn’t go to the gym, but he likes to get an early start and dawn really is a lovely time of day,” she says. The couple’s 17-year-old son, Tom, concurs and is also usually up, either to study for his HSC or do a bit of exercise. However, his 19-year-old sister, Alice, is not convinced and stays in bed until it’s absolutely time to get up for university. “She seems to have it all timed so she can squeeze every last minute before she rushes out the door,” laughs Colette.
7am: After her workout, Colette showers at the gym and changes into one of the many designer outfits she has purchased during her years in retail. “I must admit that I love fashion and Andrew’s always telling me I have too many clothes, because I can’t bear to throw anything away,” she laughs. “Our attic is full of vintage pieces, but I think my favourite is a beautiful lizard skin handbag my mother-in-law gave me. I know her mother gave it to her, and I’m quite sure one of her aunts gave it to her, so it’s a fourth-generation family heirloom,” she says. “I also have some Valentino pieces that I keep thinking one day my grandchildren will thank me for holding on to.”
7.45am: Colette pops into Bambini Trust Cafe to pick up a takeaway coffee before heading to her office on the top floor of David Jones’ historic Elizabeth Street store. With coffee still in hand, she methodically checks her emails, analyses sales figures and reads any reports or research she needs for the day. “I like to get in early when things are quiet so I can get organised and make sure I have my head around everything,” she says.
8.30am: Colette moves over to the large table in her office for the first of many meetings she’ll conduct today. “That’s what I do,” she laughs, “I meet.” And she’s not exaggerating – Colette holds around 45 meetings each week to discuss anything from marketing directions and sales figures to store refurbishments and fashion launches. Along with CEO Mark McInnes and the management committee, Colette is responsible for the strategic direction of the company in terms of how the stores look, what they stock and how they’re perceived by customers, suppliers, designers, shareholders, board members and the public.
Some years ago, Colette was assigned the task of devising a brand-merchandising strategy that would position David Jones as Australia’s most stylish shopping destination, and she accomplished this with a plan that modernised the 168-year-old company without compromising its spirit of tradition. “There’s a lot of nostalgia associated with David Jones. Some people have come to see the Christmas window displays ever since they were children, and this is where girls bought their first bra or formal dress and where boys came for their first suit, so I wanted to keep those values sacred,” she explains. “But there are other things that can make a department store outdated. There was a time when department stores embraced a private-label strategy, which worked very well for many years, but in the 1990s people became far more aware of individual designer labels and brand names and that’s what they wanted.”
For this reason, Colette decided to update the store’s designer offering, mixing top Australian designers, such as Alannah Hill, Collette Dinnigan, Zimmermann and Sass & Bide, with international labels such as Burberry, Prada, Christian Dior and Fendi. The launch of the 2002 advertising campaign featuring famous Australian fashion designers was the next step in the new direction and the store hasn’t looked back. “The feedback we’ve received has been amazing and sales, particularly in women’s wear, have grown significantly, so we know it’s working,” says Colette.
While Colette says managing the transformation process was the most challenging experience of her career, it has also been the most rewarding. “Everyone was ready for a change and I think that’s why it has been so successful,” she says. “We sensed it was the right thing to do, and we researched what was going on overseas. I’m just grateful we had the support to do it, because people can be afraid of change and it can be a big risk.”
9.45am: The rest of Colette’s morning is filled with other meetings, and she feels her role at most of them is to listen. “You’d have to ask my staff whether I’m a good listener, but I think that’s one of the most important things a manager can do,” she says. “I like to hear what other people have to say, because you never know where a great idea is going to come from.”
When it comes to managing her team of more than 100 staff, Colette tries to be fair, honest and direct, and believes it’s most important to be able to adapt to different situations and personalities. “You have to be able to understand and respect people if you want to get them on board, and you have to have fun along the way,” she smiles.
1pm: Colette manages to squeeze in a bite to eat at her desk and her assistant, Bev, has already picked up her lunch without having to ask what she wants. “I’ve had the same lunch every day since I started working – apart from the 80s when everybody ‘lunched’ – a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich. And, for a bit of excitement, I leave it to Bev to decide what bread to put it on!”
Colette might read a fashion magazine or newspaper at her desk, but she’s more likely to answer emails from overseas contacts. She tries to visit the US, Asia or Europe a couple of times a year to meet with suppliers or look at trends in retail and fashion. While there’s no doubt that overseas jaunts are among the most glamorous parts of her job, Colette says they’re much more work than play. “When I was in my twenties a trip to Melbourne seemed glamorous and, I must admit, going to my first Paris fashion parade was an unforgettable experience. But you’re still there to learn and work and make the right decisions,” she says.
Each trip also takes Colette away from her family, which is tough at times. “I really miss my family, but I’m usually so busy I don’t have time to think about anything but the task at hand,” she says. “I think it’s even harder for Andrew and the kids because they’re all back here going about their normal lives with me missing from the picture.”
2pm: Colette visits the First Floor of the Elizabeth Street store, which underwent a major makeover in April this year following months of research. “The floor hadn’t been updated in more than twenty years, so we wanted to do something special,” she says. Colette’s team travelled around the globe, consulting the biggest names in fashion and gaining inspiration from the world’s most renowned department stores. “We wanted to get it right,” says Colette, as she wanders through the new designer concept areas decorated with custom-made Florence Broadhurst wallpaper, vintage vinyl records and handpainted stencilling. “We consulted each of the designers and brands, so that every section now reflects the aesthetics of the label it represents,” she says.
Since the refurbishment was unveiled, Colette says results have already exceeded expectations. “The feedback from customers has been amazing and the sales have surpassed all our hopes and plans, so we’re thrilled,” she says.
Words: Linda Peatling. Photography: Andrew Lehmann.
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