Desert Island Stores: Chris Brook-Carter, CEO of Retail Trust
In this latest Desert Island Stores interview, Glynn Davis chats with Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of Retail Trust.
Hear Chris speak at the Retail HR Summit on 7 October – register here
Subscribe to TRBThe store you remember from childhood?
Our Price. Saturday afternoons spent browsing CDs, discovering bands just because you liked the cover art, and debating purchases carefully because every album mattered when you had limited pocket money. For me, this store captured the excitement of music retail before streaming flattened discovery into algorithms. I loved the slightly chaotic nature of it and the sense I’d always find something new. It’s encouraging that physical music stores have enjoyed a revival over the last decade, but I still miss seeing an Our Price in every shopping centre. It always felt like a destination rather than just a shop — somewhere to escape, explore identity, and discover culture through music.
Most inspirational store to your career?
Honestly, it’s less about one specific retailer and more about the moments when I walk into a store and colleagues recognise the Retail Trust brand. That always stops me for a second. Retail can be relentless, and many frontline colleagues are under real pressure, so hearing someone say, “You helped me,” or “I know what the Retail Trust does,” is hugely powerful. It reminds me why I love what we do here at the Trust and behind every transaction is a human being with challenges, ambitions and personal lives. Those encounters are what inspire me most professionally because they reinforce that retail is ultimately about people, community and the ability businesses have to positively shape lives.
Most frequently used store?
&SONS. I like the simplicity of it. Timeless menswear, easy to combine, and consistently well made. It understands that modern menswear is often more about confidence and consistency than constant reinvention. I can often be found decked head-to-toe in the brand because the quality is excellent and the styling feels effortless without trying too hard. The Soho store itself is tucked away but beautifully merchandised and thoughtfully designed. It feels calm, considered and authentic, which is increasingly rare. In a retail world obsessed with chasing trends, &SONS has built something more enduring by staying very clear about who it is.
The store you wished you’d created?
Home Barn. This independent interiors store is run by good friends whose creativity and instinct for design I genuinely admire. It proves independent retail can still feel distinctive, personal and emotionally engaging in a world increasingly dominated by sameness. I’m always in awe of the passion they bring to the business and how perfectly the store reflects their personalities and taste. Every corner feels intentional and curated rather than transactional. I would be a terrible owner of such a creative endeavour myself, but visiting always reminds me of the magic of retail at its best — when a store becomes an extension of the people behind it rather than simply a place that sells products.
Your overall favourite store?
Sounds of the Universe. One of the few places where music retail still feels tactile and communal. You can lose hours in there flipping through records, talking to staff, or discovering artists you’d never have encountered online. Sister Ray and Reckless Records are nearby. All are driven by passion rather than pure efficiency, and you feel that immediately you walk through the door. There’s something reassuring about a retailer that understands expertise and enthusiasm are still valuable in an algorithm-driven world. Soho has changed enormously over the years, but Sounds of the Universe still feels authentic and the most distinctive of the three stores. And it usually results in the most surprising purchases because its curation of music is so eclectic. It reminds me that physical retail can create belonging and promote genuine discovery.
The store you’d like to take to the desert island?
Selfridges. Partly for survival purposes, partly because boredom would quickly become the real enemy. Selfridges offers enough variety, discovery and distraction to keep island life interesting for a very long time. You could eat well, dress well, read endlessly, listen to music, and probably reinvent yourself several times over without leaving the building. What I’ve always admired about Selfridges is its sense of optimism and theatre – so this would entertain as much as offer an endless supply of things to buy. Even in difficult retail periods, it still feels ambitious and imaginative. It understands that great department stores should be experiences as much as commercial spaces. If you’re stranded somewhere indefinitely, you may as well have somewhere that keeps surprising you.
