Holly is a Senior Curator here at notonthehighstreet. Working with our incredible Partners & products, she ensures we are always offering the very best range of thoughtful gifts!
Can you talk me through what it is you do here at notonthehighstreet?
My role is Senior Curator, which means I get to work with all the amazing products we have on the site! I spend my time reviewing what it is that makes our products unique and special, as well as tracking what is going on in the wider market in terms of product trends and customer behaviour. I use this insight to inform our overall product strategy, with the goal of making sure we are offering our customers the very best range of thoughtful gifts. A really important part of my role is to ensure that we connect our partner base with this valuable insight as they are the ones creating all of our wonderful products. I also spend a lot of time looking for the best new creative businesses to join our platform which means I get to meet lots of interesting people.
How long have you been here for and what has happened over your time here?
I’ve been here for 2 and a half years now, joining as a Category Manager before being promoted to Senior Curator and tasked with setting the overall vision of the ‘Style’ category. My role now also involves heading up our Inspiration team, who are responsible for producing inspirational content for our internal teams and Partners (or brands).
I also work really closely with the Brand team, working to plan out the partnerships and collaborations we are involved in and ensuring we are marketing the best products for campaigns. The biggest change in my role over my time here has been moving away from the day to day product detail, to instead helping to set the strategic vision to ensure we are future proofing the business.
What does a typical day look like from start to finish?
The first thing we always do is check how yesterday’s trade was — for example which categories are performing well, whether there are any new trends coming through, looking for any changes in what people are buying etc. If we have a campaign running, we’ll see how our products are performing within it, and work with teams internally to help drive sales. I’ll also usually be reviewing at least one product selection — we are always working to pull together products for specific campaigns. Then I will spend some time looking through competitor emails and social channels — it’s important to see what other people are talking about. I also spend time talking to external agencies about events we are running, such as “Pitch-Ups” (where we find new Partners) and looking for new Partners to step into the product gaps we have.
Where do you go looking for trends and inspiration?
It depends really — so many places. I think we’re really lucky to be in London because so much happens here. We have lots of independent boutiques as well as local exhibitions and galleries so we’re always able to be inspired. We’re really lucky that we get to travel too — I’ve been lucky enough to go to design weeks and exhibitions all over the world, and the knowledge and inspiration is then fed back to our Partners to help them develop the next star product! Lately we have spent some time in the US as they have an amazing choice of small independent brands with lots of products we haven’t come across before. Social media is also really important for inspiration — Instagram has become huge for that — so we’ll spend a lot of our time looking for inspiration or new Partner leads on that.
Where were you working before?
Before this I was working at Fenwick in Newcastle for about 6 years. It was really great because, in the same way it is here, each store operates independently and so the range you have is relevant specifically to your local market. It set me up well for coming here really — I had worked on a lot of similar categories and even alongside some of our notonthehighstreet Partners before too. It was like having your own business; you were responsible for your staffing costs, buying costs and your overheads. I think that has really helped me understand some of the challenges our Partners can face.
Did you always want to be a Curator and get into Buying?
I’ve always loved Retail. I worked at H&M whilst at university and loved it so that was definitely where it all started from. I always knew that I had a business brain as well as loving product, so when I found out Fenwick did a graduate scheme, I leapt at the opportunity. It was great because it gave me insight into lots of different departments, but buying was definitely my favourite.
Why did you join notonthehighstreet?
I wasn’t really looking for a new role the time, but knew I had been at Fenwicks for a long time so had been keeping one eye on the market. I saw we were were recruiting and the role just struck a chord with me so I applied, and then ended up getting it! I loved the idea of making a difference to people. Previously, I was working with big brands who just want to drive a profit, where as here we are genuinely changing people’s lives everyday, and ultimately allowing them to do what they love. My mum also has her own business so I really relate to the challenges in that. It was a big move from Newcastle and I had to take my husband with me, but I’ve absolutely loved it since I joined!
What’s been your most memorable moment?
I found it quite difficult to comprehend when I first joined — it was weird going from a physical retail shop to somewhere where everything is done online. If you were trading badly at Fenwicks, you’d go to the shop floor and move stuff around or re-evaluate your pricing whereas here it’s different — your job is so focused on inspiring our Partners and working collaboratively with them. I remember my first Christmas when I saw strong sales and the products that I’d worked on with our partners from start to end — that was when it all felt really worthwhile.
I also loved the time when we went as the whole of the first floor to do our Insights colours and get our profiles. It was probably at the moment that I realised just how much of a people place notonthehighstreet is. Everyone’s in it together and everyone wants to support each other and make it work.
If you could give someone interviewing with us advice, what would you say?
I think I would say just be yourself. The best thing you can bring to this business is your own view, confidence around your opinions, your values and ideas. There isn’t a one size fits all here — it’s really important that you’re your own person with us. There is no wrong answer; any idea is a good one and you should never try to just fit in to what you think you should be.
What are you looking forward to over the next 12 months?
I’m excited to see what will happen with my role. Stepping away from the detail and moving to spend more time future proofing — acting as the bridge between the brand team and the product team to make sure we make the best of every opportunity. Working on collaborations, projects we’ve never done before, or different ways of trading through Instagram or Pinterest, working with influencers — there’s so much new potential! It’s just about making sure I can remove myself from the day-to-day to make that happen. I’m excited as our team are in a really good place to make this happen so I can’t wait to see it come to life.
