Erin Brookes’ journey into the world of retail consultancy is a testament to how passion, experience, and adaptability can shape a career in an ever-evolving industry. Now managing director and head of Retail at Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), Brookes’ career has spanned across operational and consulting roles, from working on beauty counters to leading turnaround strategies for some of the UK’s most well-known retail brands.
Brookes’ fascination with retail began early, sparked by a part-time job at Selfridges while she was still a student. “I was working in Selfridges on the beauty counter actually at Aveda,” she recalls. “That really was a significant part of my life, helping me get through school with the economic help that I needed as a foreign student from Canada.” This early exposure to retail set her on a path that would eventually lead her to one of the most respected consultancy roles in the sector.
After graduating, Brookes began working with Richard Hyman at Verdict Research, where she began to explore the more analytical side of retail. “That was really the start of my passion for the sector,” she explains. Following this, she moved into management consultancy at Deloitte, where her retail expertise grew. But it was her time working within the operations of a retailer that proved to be a pivotal learning experience. “I really was keen to go into a role working within a retailer,” she says. One of her consulting clients invited her to join The Body Shop International, and she took on the role of running the commercial strategy for the business, which was at the time owned by L’Oreal.
At The Body Shop, Brookes was responsible for adjusting the value proposition across various markets—an experience that deepened her understanding of how retailers must adapt their offers to meet the needs of diverse consumer bases. “At the time, the business traded in over 60 markets,” Brookes notes, emphasising the complexity of managing such a widespread operation.
Now at A&M, Brookes has spent the last eight years leading retail and consumer turnarounds and transformations across Europe. “My day job is leading retail and consumer turnarounds and transformation cases,” she says. “We’ve been very famous for restructuring, but today the reality is that restructuring only makes up about 30% of our business. The rest is in private equity channels and corporate work.”
One of her most notable roles came when she was appointed chief restructuring officer (CRO) and chief marketing officer (CMO) at Debenhams, one of the UK’s most iconic retail brands. “It was a difficult time for Debenhams,” Brookes reflects. The business was going through a debt-for-equity swap, and the main lenders owned the company. “They were really in need of leadership,” Brookes explains, detailing how she had already been working with Debenhams on a project basis through A&M before stepping into these leadership roles.
The challenge of leading Debenhams through a critical period, especially in the marketing sphere, proved to be one of Brookes’ most intense yet rewarding professional experiences. “It was fantastic,” she says. “We were so lucky to have wonderful people there, including a fantastic creative director and great marketing operations director.” Brookes speaks highly of the team at Debenhams, even as they faced the monumental task of getting through the planning and execution of the Christmas campaign—a critical period for any retailer.
But the challenge for retailers goes far beyond individual campaigns or products. According to Brookes, the retail sector has been in a state of near-constant disruption for several years. “For quite a long time, the UK retail sector has been in differing states of disruption, be it from competitive intensity or the rise of online,” she explains. This disruption is compounded by the challenges posed by the pandemic, the cost of living crisis, and fluctuating consumer confidence.
This is where Brookes and her team at A&M come in. When a retailer approaches A&M for help, whether they are in crisis or looking to optimise their operations, the process is comprehensive. “We start with a fact base,” Brookes says. “We really look at the cost structure of the business, how it’s performing, and where it’s making its money.” From there, her team works closely with executives and boards to create detailed turnaround or transformation strategies, often focusing on core areas like pricing, product assortment, and operational efficiency.
Brookes acknowledges that while some business want help as they are struggling, some are actually thriving and come to A&M for advice on how to grow further. “In the last six months, we’ve had a lot of clients that are actually growing and very healthy, but they want someone to take a hard look and say, ‘Are we allocating our investments in the right way? Where could we be smarter?’,” Brookes explains.
When asked about the strategies that help companies navigate such volatile environments, Brookes emphasises the importance of quick, decisive action. She reveals that often when asked to evaluate what business wish they had done in most scenarios, “the consistent answer I hear from clients, looking back, is ‘make decisions more quickly”. In a fast-moving market, even a good strategy can fail if not executed in a timely manner. “It’s better to make the decision and move to execution provided that you have enough facts,” Brookes says.
Leadership, in Brookes’ view, is central to any successful turnaround. She is keenly aware that leadership is about engaging with teams, motivating them, and bringing everyone on board with the company’s goals. “Having a flexible style, understanding your team, what motivates them… that’s really important,” she says. For her, leadership is about consistency, humility, and accessibility. “It’s really important that leaders are there if people need a one-to-one or someone wants to talk.”
However, Brookes acknowledges the difficulties leaders face, especially when delivering tough messages or asking teams to improve their performance in challenging times. “It can be quite clear that I’m not the expert in the room on a certain subject,” she admits. “At that point I’m there to ensure we all together get from where we are today to where we need to be.”
One of the areas Brookes is particularly passionate about is ensuring that retailers keep the “voice of the customer” present in their decision-making processes. “It’s really important to have the voice of the customer in the boardroom even when their opinion may create tension and they want something that was not initially planned in a certain strategy or journey ,” she asserts. In an era where consumer preferences are changing rapidly, and economic pressures are mounting, understanding what drives customer behaviour is crucial. Brookes points out that many retailers often also need to take a more analytical approach to investment decisions. “Understanding how and where the business makes money is critical,” she notes, especially when it comes to allocating capital wisely.
Beyond her role at A&M, Brookes is also heavily involved in efforts to improve conditions for retail workers. As a trustee for the Retail Trust, she has been a vocal advocate for addressing the rise in retail crime, which has left many shopfloor employees feeling unsafe. “Some 50% of people that work in retail shopfloor roles feel unsafe at work,” she laments, highlighting how this issue impacts both employee well-being and productivity. Brookes also points out the challenge posed by increasing shoplifting incidents, which put additional strain on retail staff.
In addition to her work with the Retail Trust, Brookes also serves as a non-executive director for Revolution Beauty. This role, she says, offers her a chance to help steer a company without being involved in the day-to-day operations. “The board really is there, and especially the non-executives, to provide independent advice to the executives that run the company,” she explains.
Looking ahead, Brookes acknowledges that the retail sector faces significant headwinds, from inflationary pressures to ongoing supply chain disruptions. However, she remains optimistic about the future of the industry. “Retailers need to think about what stimulates demand for their category,” she advises, stressing the importance of staying agile and being proactive in understanding and responding to consumer needs.
For Brookes, the future of retail lies in the ability of businesses to remain nimble, make data-driven decisions, and focus on the evolving demands of their customers. While the challenges are undeniable, with the right leadership and strategy, she believes retailers can navigate these turbulent times and emerge stronger.
