SALLY COATES

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia my decision to have a career in retail came about when I was 12.

I was allowed one new outfit that would be on heavy rotation in the lead up to Christmas to be worn at every pre Christmas event. There was a lot of pressure on this outfit and had to be perfect, because as you know, this is very important when you are 12. I had a very clear idea of what I was looking for, so it should be easy. Or so I thought.


We went from store to store finding nothing. At the end of the day we stood in a store I would never have normally have set foot in, and empty handed, exhausted and so incredibly disappointed I turned to my mother and asked:


“Who chooses what goes into these stores?”

“A Fashion Buyer” she responded.

“Well, that’s what I am going to do when I leave school. Be a Fashion Buyer”, I replied.

“I must be able to do a better job than these people” I said.

And so there in the middle of a store at the age of 12, I decided I wanted to have an influence on retail.

I wanted to end the sea of sameness and bring excitement to stores. I wanted to bring customers what they wanted and what they didn’t even know they wanted. I wanted to create memorable experiences for customers. Memorable for all of the right reasons.

A passion I still have to this day.

When I left school, I got a low level job in a Buying Office and over time I made my way up the corporate ladder in different retail businesses. Over time I held various Senior Executive roles in large and speciality retail businesses leading Buying, Merchandise Planning, Marketing, Design and eCommerce teams.

Today I am the CEO of a Fashion Accessories business and also the Founder of The Retail Mentors, a global network focused on reigniting retail through community and connection.

But, I must admit the most challenging role I have had in my career actually wasn’t in retail. It is without doubt being a tap dancing teacher to 2 year olds when I was 17. The ultimate test in patience and repetition.