Page 4 - RLI June 2019

who’s who in retail

MEETS

RObERT

bUcHbAUER

CEO OF SWAROVSKI CONSUMER GOODS BUSINESS

Q. What are your key objectives over the next 12 months? Q. What do you make of social media and its prominent rise in
A. To ensure our activity is optimised, we have set several priorities for the importance over the last few years?
year ahead. A. Social media is hugely important in the current environment as we strive to
Our consumers will be the focus across all our activities and we are refining our foster long-lasting relationships with new customers and continue to build our
understanding of their needs and the value we can bring to their lives. With this in relationship with existing customers through our digital presence. We know we
mind, we want to also ensure a more personalised product, improved communication live in a trend-driven culture and over recent years, we have strongly enhanced
and overall consumer experience, which will ultimately result in the continued our digital presence in order to engage with a wider audience in a fresh and
strengthening of our distribution and pricing strategy. daring way. We felt it was important to engage with younger audiences and in
We will also look to increase growth through higher conversion rates, driving our addition to social media, we have updated our website to make it more engaging
e-commerce growth and supporting our partners. In particular, based on our new and conversational. This is why we are also collaborating with a number of micro-
360° Concepts, which stands for our refined jewellery strategy with improved influencers who we believe resonate with our brands values and audience.
product availability, we will also accelerate our growth in jewellery through stronger
collections, and we will bring both watches and ‘Crystal Living’ to the next level. Q. What would you consider to be your career highlights?
Last but not least, we consider our employees to be key in fulfilling all of the above, A. There have been a number of highlights, but I would say some of my
and therefore we will have an increased focus on developing our key talents in 2019. proudest moments were being appointed to CEO of Swarovski Consumer
Goods Business and becoming a member of the Swarovski Executive Board
Q. Have the economic struggles across the market in recent years in 2002, then Chairman of the Swarovski Executive Board and Member of the
had any impact on the business? Advisory Board in 2012 - these were pivotal moments in my career. I have
A. As with all areas of retail, there are challenges to compete with online sellers been surrounded by this exciting companies’ crystals my entire life and it has
and non-traditional jewellery sellers, as well as keeping up with the constantly been amazing to see the brand evolve over these years too, especially in the
evolving jewellery landscape and technology advancements – especially in shopping- fast moving retail world.
commerce and social media. We know that changing consumer behaviour is another
area to consider, as consumers are now more confident than ever in spending online Q. How are you feeling about the 12 months ahead?
and they are also more concerned with how they prioritise their time. The customer A. We are feeling positive about the year ahead - our brand is built with a
journey is therefore paramount. This is particularly true for the latest generations strong emphasis on glamour, trends and mastery. We also have a global, easily
such as Millennials and Generation Z. There has also been an increase in showing accessible and multi-channel distribution and our pipeline of new products is
jewellery product videos on brand owned social media pages and the overall robust with strong availability and improved margins. I am confident that by
enhancement of the online shopping experience – something which has been a focus focusing even more on creating real consumer benefit we will continue to
for us over recent years. sparkle as a successful brand in the market.
Q. What key leadership skills do you feel are the most important in Q. Do you have any words of warning for the industry?
the current retail climate? A. The jewellery and watch industry is dynamic and growing fast, so it’s important
A. In these challenging times I think it’s important to maintain consistent to keep an eye out for emerging trends and new technologies, and to ensure we
leadership skills. stand out from the crowd. We at Swarovski have a big advantage in that our
I want to focus on being collaborative and innovative, as this is what will help us products are brought to life through innovative technology – our engineering
flourish in the future. I also think it’s important to be resilient and be able to adapt abilities, cutting technology and technology of making crystal which has been
in our evolving landscape. We work hard to keep on top of current shopping habits perfected over the years. We even have our own dedicated innovation team with
- not just with marketing tactics and digital expansion, but with designs, too. The final a mission to keep the business up to date with the latest retail technologies and
attribute would be inspirational and harness the passion that my employees have incorporate them into the Swarovski experience, so we keep up with consumer
for their work and for each other, as ultimately this is what makes a brand unique. needs. In today’s current climate, and to ensure online success, it’s important to
be able to turn to technology to enable brands to stay competitive.
Q. As a leader, when making key strategic decisions, what proportion of
the decision do you feel is fact-based and what proportion is instinctual? Q. Any final thoughts or anything else you would like to add?
A. I believe making strategic decisions should be based on a combination of facts A. It is a privilege to be part of the Swarovski legacy. I am thrilled to be part
as well as gut feelings. Having been part of the Swarovski world for so long, I believe of a business that has a heritage going back more than a hundred years, and to
instinct has a huge part to play and it’s natural that past experiences and knowledge help propel the brand forward onto the next level and into a successful future.
will help shape these. But it’s also important to consider what facts and data we At Swarovski we feel that the company is really evolving and the future is
have access to, that will help validate our instinct and steer us in the right direction. exciting, as we are set to celebrate 125 years of the brand next year.

04 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL JUNE 2019