INTERVIEW intu
The world of Retail has been on something of a rollercoaster in recent years, with technological advancement and shifting customer expectations making for an exciting, albeit uncertain, sector to be involved in. As General Manager at intu Derby, Adam Tamsett’s role
is one filled with opportunities and challenges. It is also one he is well qualified for. “I started at intu Derby 12 years ago in a PR capacity and
have spent time at both the Nottingham and Derby intu centres. I was part of the original team that opened the latter,” explains Adam. “I’ve worked for Westfield (which occupied the intu
Derby site up to 2014) and intu in various roles and it is an area I really enjoy – it’s fast-paced and I get to work on various strategic projects throughout the year and then watch them come to life.” And it is Adam’s rounded experiences within Retail that
enables him to coherently and effectively convey what intu stands for and what it means to its customers. “I’ve probably come through a quite unusual route. Many
general managers tend to come from a more operational or store managing background so certainly I am a little different from that perspective,” says Adam. “Six years ago I worked on the rebrand of Capital shopping centres to intu and spent 12 months in London working on that; identifying what the brand means and how we can culturally change our business to be ahead of the competition has enabled me to be very customer- focused in my approach and thinking. “Shopping centres and property can be a bit dry as an
industry and what we have realised is that it needs to be about the experience you get when you come into shopping centres; a strong brand allows us to do that. Our ethos is “we make joy” which is a really great way to look at our offering and what we deliver.” So at a time when the high street is struggling and some
long-established and big-name players in the Retail sector are scaling down or going out of business altogether, what is it about intu that helps it resonate with customers and stay ahead of the curve in a challenging and volatile environment? For Adam, it’s all about a shift from traditional shopping to providing an all-round customer experience.
44 business network December 2018/January 2019
Creating experiences is at the heart of intu's strategy
the future
In the age of ecommerce and internet shopping, retailers are under increasing pressure to innovate, evolve and stay relevant. Adam Tamsett, General Manager at intu Derby – one of the region’s premier shopping destinations – spoke with Business Network Editor Nathan Fearn about how intu is doing just that, and what the future holds for the sector.
“Shopping habits and what people do with their leisure
time has massively changed and is continuing to do so, suggests Adam. “Customers want more experiences when they go shopping – much of the time they’re not there simply to buy a specific item and leave, they want to go for a drink in a coffee shop or a bar, or they want to go bowling or go to the cinema and make a real day out of it. “When I think about what intu has to offer, I see us
competing not necessarily against other shopping centres but also against places that offer leisure activities and experiences; I would describe a day out shopping as a leisure experience these days.” So how does this translate into practice at intu generally
as well as specifically in Derby? “We keep things fresh and ensure our customers have
something new to discover when they visit and that’s a really important way of staying ahead of our competitors. “intu has added a real focus on Food and Beverage
(F&B) and leisure, that’s partly because the market has changed that way and partly because of what intu can deliver on a national scale; we have 15 centres in the UK so a lot of the brands are in our centres. “In Derby for example, we opened our Leisure
development last April comprising the Hollywood Bowl and
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