Clare Bailey
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The Retail Champion - expert, author, mentor and consultant
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Published author of two best-selling business retail books from Kogan Page
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Champions for the success and sustainability of smaller, independent retailers
Clare Bailey, better known as The Retail Champion, is one of the UK’s most high-profile retail experts and a trusted voice on the changing face of the high street. A retail engineer by background, Clare combines deep strategic insight with hands-on experience, helping retailers, brands and government bodies navigate a fast-evolving retail landscape.
She’s the bestselling author of two practical business books — The Retail Champion: 10 Steps to Retail Success and How to Sell to Retail — and regularly appears across national media including BBC News, Sky, Retail Week, The Telegraph, Daily Mail and The Guardian.
With over three decades of experience, Clare has advised household names like Amazon, Halfords, Wella, M&S and the Retail Trust, as well as countless independent retailers and local authorities. She is also a Director of the Institute of Sales Professionals and serves as an expert legal witness in high-profile commercial cases, offering specialist insight into retail operations and consumer behaviour.
Whether she’s addressing retail CEOs, entrepreneurs, government stakeholders or local business networks, Clare speaks with warmth, clarity and a sense of purpose. Her passion for supporting ethical, sustainable and customer-led commerce shines through in every talk — always practical, always honest, and always actionable.
RETAIL STRATEGY & TRENDS
- The Future of Retail: Trends, tech and shopper behaviour – what’s coming and who’ll survive.
- Key Differentiators for Growth: Why some retailers thrive and others don’t – real-world takeaways.
- Retail Innovation that Works: How to stand out, stay relevant and still make money.
CUSTOMER & SALES
- How to Sell to Retail: What buyers really want – and how to pitch like a pro.
- Ecommerce that Converts: Practical tips for selling online without losing your mind.
- Omnichannel Without the Overwhelm: Make your channels work together (and not against you).
SUPPLY CHAIN & RESILIENCE
- Make Supply Chain Your Superpower: From co-loading to customer trust – real talk on logistics.
- From Fragile to Flexible: Resilience lessons from retailers who’ve been through the wringer.
PURPOSE, PLACE & COMMUNITY
- Place Marketing that Works: Turn towns into destinations – and locals into ambassadors.
- High Streets & Hospitality: Regeneration strategies that drive footfall and loyalty.
- Hyperlocal & Proud: Why putting people and place first beats price wars every time.
DIGITAL & TRANSFORMATION
- Digital for Real People: Tech that supports growth – not just buzzwords.
- AI, Automation & What Retail Needs to Know: What’s worth the hype (and what’s not).
MEDIA, BRAND & PERSONALITY
- Become the Go-To Expert: Clare’s own journey to trusted voice status.
- Media Skills & Storytelling: Cut through noise and make your brand press-worthy.
Clare is a powerful communicator and her branding as The Retail Champion is fully justified. Our audience was captivated by her ideas and her common sense concepts and strategies. Clare also participated in a panel debate. It was very apparent from the outset that she had a real understanding and empathy for the subject. Well done - 10/10! Her energy and commitment to making things better is inspirational and people should listen, take note and act upon her advice.
Not only was Clare an absolute pleasure to work with, but she carried out some considerable research ahead of the event to better understand the audience. She proved to be a charming speaker who delivered an excellent and compelling presentation and was very enthusiastically received. Afterwards, Clare very kindly spent time meeting delegates keen to pick her brain for further ideas
I attended a keynote presentation delivered by Clare at a business expo. It was highly informative and inspiring and Clare shared real insights with her audience. Not to be missed!
Clare's session was one of the highlights of the conference, with dealers still discussing her presentation late into the evening. We'd wholeheartedly recommend The Retail Champion to present at any conference targeting high street dealers
I engaged Clare as a keynote speaker for a retailer seminar, sponsored by the European Association of State Lotteries in Paris. She had done a substantial amount of research on State Lotteries and skillfully integrated the results of this work into her presentation. She clearly has a substantial amount of practical experience in the retail sector.
Clients often ask about purchasing books for giveaways and delegate packs. Below you’ll find a selection of products by Clare Bailey. Click the images to view on Amazon's website. For bulk orders, please speak with your Booking Agent.
How to book Clare Bailey for your event
To book Clare Bailey, please submit an online enquiry to booking.agent@nmp.co.uk or contact one of our booking agents on +44 (0)20 3822 0003.
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