Nigel Oddy, CEO of House of Fraser (HoF)

The latest Drapers, a magazine specialising in the British retail industry, selected “2015’s Most Influential People in Fashion Retail”, which is the magazine's annual selection of the best of the best in their field. Nigel Oddy, CEO of House of Fraser, was selected, ranking 20th out of the 100 selected, following in the footsteps Yuan Yafei, Chairman of Sanpower Group, who was selected last year. Drapers, a magazine specialising in the British retail industry, was founded in 1887, a history lasting longer than a century. It is now a subsidiary of the UK media giant Emap. Nigel Oddy joined House of Fraser in 2007 as Director of the Home and Hotel Supplies Department. In 2013, he assumed the position of COO until February of this year, when he officially took office as CEO of HoF.

Nigel Oddy has a wealth of experience in the retail industry and has performed above all expectations. From 1978 to 2001, Nigel spent 23 years at Marks & Spencer and set up its purchasing department in Hongkong. He brought the experience to HoF and worked to develop its international business. He is not only a pioneer in entering into the Chinese market, but also looks towards the Middle East with his partners as the next market to break into.

What’s more, he is actively developing a multi-channel business model. And in June, HoF’s headquarters in London integrated both online and offline teams and E-commerce’s online sales achieved a 32% year-on-year increase, which is the first time e-commerce has become one of the most profitable channels. HoF’sO2O mode is regarded as “the retail model for organically combining physical stores with e-commerce (online and offline)”. Nigel Oddy, with 30 years of experience in the retail industry and in the spirit of innovation, won the honour of “2015’s Most Influential People in Fashion Retail”.