Conversation with… People in Retail Awards Judge Ian Hunt
Here we catch up with Ian Hunt, director of customer services and procurement at Liberty London. From record-breaking sales to joining the judging panel at The People in Retail Awards, Ian shares what’s been keeping him busy in recent months and why he believes celebrating people is at the very heart of a successful retail business.
We last interviewed you in May 2025. Can you give us an update on what’s been happening with you since then?
Subscribe to TRBI’m pleased to say that Liberty has had another record sales year, an amazing Christmas period, and we’ve broken some records in the store, which has been wonderful from a personal point of view.
Beyond that, I got involved with The People in Retail Awards and attended what I’d describe as retail’s biggest people party, which was great fun.
As a returning judge, what made you want to be involved again this year?
To be honest, it’s not something I’d had much involvement with before, so I was a bit unsure initially, but I really enjoyed the process.
I met some very interesting people, some of whom I’ve stayed in touch with. When I was at the awards dinner, I found myself thinking about what we need to do to get our teams in front of these wonderful judging panels. As a result, I think there’ll be a couple of entries from my Liberty team this year as they were equally inspired by the event.
On the judging day, I particularly enjoyed meeting like-minded retailers at a similar level to me, which doesn’t happen that often. Liberty isn’t a particularly big organisation, and I sit physically in a different building to the other directors, so I don’t get that desk chat or water-cooler conversation that others might.
It was great to talk to people who understand the challenges, share similar experiences, and in some cases have shared history. Everyone knows everyone in this industry at some point, and I always enjoy that.
And of course, it was a huge privilege to assess so many inspiring entries.
What did you enjoy most about the awards evening?
For me, it was about seeing people’s reactions; how people react when they win, and in one case when they didn’t win but still got called up on stage!
This was especially true for the awards I helped judge, as I felt invested. You’ve read the entries, seen the work, and understood how much effort has gone into it. You almost feel like you know these people, even though you’ve only encountered them on paper. Then you get to see them in real life, which is lovely. It was genuinely enjoyable.
Why do you believe people-focused awards are so important to the retail industry right now?
Retail is a people business. Every time you go to a leaving speech, people always say it’s the people they miss the most.
I love the fact that the awards celebrate people who might not always be front facing. In areas like customer service or operational roles, a lot of the work can go unseen. Recognising those individuals and showing they’re just as important as buyers or sales teams really matters to me.
If you get the team element right and make people feel special, the rest is easy.
What message would you share with retailers thinking about entering the awards?
Just do it. What’s the worst that can happen?
Having read the entries and applications, I genuinely think that just going through the process of completing the form makes you reflect on what you do and how you do it. The questions encourage you to think about how things could be even better. It’s also a chance to step back and recognise how much you and your teams have achieved.
At the end of the day, it’s all about celebrating success.
Entries for The People in Retail Awards are now open
