Desert Island Stores: Jeremy Fennell, CEO of Harding+
In this latest Desert Island Stores interview, Glynn Davis chats with Jeremy Fennell, the newly installed chief executive of dedicated cruise retail operator Harding+
The store you remember from childhood?
Subscribe to TRBMy grandparents were greengrocers and as a toddler I remember carrying out some early remerchandising by rolling fruit around on the floor. As a kid we grew up in a market town with a fairly limited retail offer so trips to Milton Keynes – especially John Lewis – were a favourite of my mum’s. I loved breaking away to the more interesting departments and seeing much bigger ranges of all the products we’d seen on the TV adverts.
Like many kids of my era the Argos catalogue was the go-to source of all knowledge, especially around birthdays and Christmas, when I’d spend hours circling everything on my wish list. Early multichannel! As a teenager I spent a lot of my money in Record Savings and Chalky’s – both independent record shops where we’d go to browse and discover. I wish I’d kept them; I bought a turntable during Covid-19 and it cost me a fortune to replace my favourite records.
Most inspirational store to your career?
My first retail job was at Tesco serving on the deli counter although it came to a messy end when I sliced the end of my thumb on the ham slicer. By far the most influential store was Currys in Banbury where I spent my school work experience, which then led to a part-time job. I loved the people, selling to customers, and worked for some brilliant store managers.
From the very beginning it was a business that gave people responsibility and room to grow. From managing a section to leading training sessions, I ended up spending as much time there as I did at school and eventually went on to work for the business in the UK and overseas for 25 years.
Outside the UK, Akihabara in Tokyo has probably been my biggest source of retail inspiration. During my years in consumer electronics I’d always try to carve out time to visit the store. The energy, the latest technology, the wonderfully weird products, and the concepts I’d never seen before made it great fun to visit and we always came home with new ideas.
Most frequently used store?
Amazon. Not the most exciting answer, but it’s honest. Whether it’s replacing something urgently, finding an obscure item that I can’t source elsewhere, or simply saving time, it’s become the retailer I use most frequently for smaller items where I don’t need advice and can’t wait until later.
The store you wished you’d created?
Spoke. At 6’6” and roughly the same width from head to toe, buying clothes that fit is almost impossible unless they’re bespoke or semi-bespoke. These guys worked out how to make that work at scale with a brilliantly simple proposition. They have a superb website, fun marketing, and a great range. I often threatened to build something similar myself, but they actually made it happen, so good on them.
Your overall favourite store?
Lovelo Cycles. I love cycling but I’m hopeless at bike maintenance and invariably do more harm than good, so I’m a regular customer of theirs for servicing, repairs and even packing my bikes for travel. The team are great and the service is superb but while I’m there I also love seeing what’s new. In that environment I’m a salesperson’s dream when it comes to new components, upgrades, or even a complete new bike.
The store you’d like to take to the desert island?
Pound Street Deli in Wendover would be ideal for keeping me supplied with some of the best produce and wines. But for pure practicality, and for help fixing whatever problems might arise on a desert island, I’d choose VAH DIY. It’s a family-run hardware store in my hometown of Berkhamsted.
They somehow squeeze around 35,000 SKUs into their tiny high street store, with another 35,000 available through the extended range. With the most remarkable space productivity and merchandising I’ve ever seen, somehow they always have exactly what I’m looking for in stock, and the team know precisely where it is. An incredible business that’s entrepreneurial, customer-focused, and endlessly useful.
These choices probably explain why my new role appealed so much. I’ve always enjoyed retail where people, service and experience matter as much as the products. After years selling in stores, international retail and creating tailored experiences with airport partners, this felt like a fitting next chapter.
