Comment: Media hires will keep retailers relevant

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The retail and media sectors have always been close cousins. But, as the digital revolution continues to disrupt all aspects of the media space, the role of retailers has to change if they are to remain relevant. As such, the relationship between retailing and mobile devices is now of increasing importance.

Traditionally, the role of retail has been to offer media and technology providers with a physical channel to market. If you wanted to buy consumer electronics, books, music, or movies, you went to a high street retailer.

The last few years have seen almost total disruption across this space, with major electronics brands establishing their own direct channels to customers, both online and offline - just look at Apple as a prime example.

Physical media such as books, music and DVDs are becoming curiosities like vinyl LPs, and younger customers can now find every novel, song or movie without visiting a store.

We have also seen retailers selling their own tablet devices. The rise of the smartphone and tablet is not just changing the way we behave as consumers, it is changing the way we live our lives.

So what are retailers doing to maintain relevance in this ever changing digitally connected world? Many have realised that the connection between retailing and mobile devices is now so important that they must bring experience from the world of technology into the highest levels of their businesses.

Executive moves columns are now filled with the news of more and more retailers recruiting senior people from media and technology companies and vice versa.

Many people ask how traditional retail can remain relevant in a world where change is both exponential and unpredictable.

Some high-profile personalities have recently been warning about the death of the high street and the long-term demise of the
retail sector. However, retail has been resilient in the face of change because there has always been a deep creative streak running beneath the sometimes linear, left-brained surface.

As long as creative, innovative people hold senior positions in retail, they will continue to respond to market pressures by looking beyond the numbers and towards the future.

When the news of former LoveFilm chief executive Simon Calver’s move to Mothercare first broke in 2012, many asked how someone from a digital movie company could effectively run a traditional retailer.

But Mothercare has reported its first underlying profit since 2010. Clearly, in today’s fast-changing world the ability to respond quickly to customers and shift the way you do business is increasingly becoming the difference between success and failure in consumer-facing sectors.

So, while at first it might not seem an obvious fit to bring in leaders from other industries to run retailers, perhaps it is a further sign of just how creative and resilient the retail sector can be.