What made you want to work in publishing?

I always enjoyed writing stories and reading growing up. However, it wasn’t until I was in my teens that I realised I wanted to become a journalist. A family friend landed a job at a celebrity women’s weekly, and she managed to get me some work experience. Although I was tasked with organising the cupboards, and back issues, I quickly realised the newsroom environment was somewhere I enjoyed, and wanted to play a pivotal role in. A few years later I landed a place at university studying Journalism with English Literature, and I’ve never really looked back.

What drew you to B2B?

In all honesty, I wasn’t told much about the B2B world whilst studying at university. It wasn’t until I started job hunting after I graduated that I found out there was a side of journalism that wasn’t just for consumers. I applied to a few B2B jobs after thinking it would be quite cool to get knowledgeable about a topic that I knew nothing about. My first stint in the publishing world was as a web editor for a publishing firm which had six titles, covering everything from food and drink, and dairy, all the way to metal packaging. The job allowed me to travel around Europe, and for my first toe in the water I knew I’d made the right career choice. I’m now in my third job, and I’ve never worked outside of the B2B sphere, and to be honest I don’t really have any desire to. It’s allowed me to really get my teeth stuck into various industries I never thought I would, one being science a few years back. I’m constantly learning, and I don’t take that for granted.

How do you think publications like yours can inspire young journalists to pursue a career in B2B journalism?

To be honest, looking back I do wish I had been informed more about what B2B journalism entailed. Whilst studying for my degree I was only really exposed to hard hitting newspaper journalism, and celebrity magazines. Don’t get me wrong, all useful, but I feel its important for young journalists to be aware of all the opportunities available to them. Retail Express may be a trade title, but its style is far more tabloid. I feel lucky to work on a publication which gives me the best of both worlds. I think it’s essential aspiring journalists are made aware of titles like this, so they are able to make an informed decision about what career they would like to pursue.

Can you tell us about the ‘Stand Up To Retail Crime’ project? How does it feel to have the ability to make real change within your sector?

I’ve been at Newtrade Media for four years in May, and two and a half years of that has been heading up Retail Express. I feel very fortunate to work in an industry that I’m passionate about trying to make change in. Independent retailers are extremely hard workers, and extremely supportive of the work we do. As a result, a lot of them I consider to be friends, more than just contacts. Therefore, the ‘Stand Up to Retail Crime’ campaign was something I was very passionate about. Hearing accounts from store owners about the horrific violence and abuse they have endured, only fuelled my desire to want to play my part in helping give them better protection. It’s a hugely rewarding experience, and something I feel extremely grateful to have been given the responsibility to do.

What’s your process when hunting for an investitive story?

As I mentioned before, independent retailers are an extremely friendly bunch of people, and they are passionate about what we do. In addition, Retail Express has a reputation of holding those firms, or people mistreating stores accountable. I received an email from a retailer telling me that the payment they had received from Hermes UK didn’t correspond to the number of parcels they had actually handled, and instead it was far lower. I then did a quick call around to other retailers as I do when I’m tipped off about something to find out whether it is more of a widespread issue, or just a standalone incident. It became very clear, very quickly this was being experienced by a large number of stores across the country. I continued gathering evidence from as many retailers as I could before approaching the company itself. This process was important as I was able to make them aware that it was very clear this wasn’t just a small issue, and that they needed to priortise looking into it. A few days later, I received confirmation from them that there had been a glitch in the system and that they would be repaying retailers the compensation they were owed immediately.

Your sector has been very vocal about the positive impact Retail Express has had on their livelihoods – is this the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Without a doubt. For the Hermes UK story, in particular it felt great to use Retail Express as leverage to get independent retailers the answers, and solutions they need and rightfully deserve. During my time working in the sector, independents don’t tend to get the same level as support as other businesses in the sector because they are looked upon as the minority. Albeit extremely difficult for them at the time, I was pleased to see them get the recognition they deserved during the pandemic being hailed ‘heroes’, however it was just a shame it took something that severe to get people to notice. Fighting their corner is the very thing that keeps me motivated every day in my job. I feel fortunate to have something to be so passionate about. They are people just like me and you, and more often than not they just need someone to listen.

What’s on your radar?

In all honesty, it’s hard to be positive with everything that’s going on in the world right now. I have had some really challenging conversations with independent retailers as of late who are considering shutting up shop, purely because they don’t have the motivation like they used to have to battle so many rising costs, so shortly after the pandemic which left them with no steam as it is. Priortising mental health is of real importance to me, and something I ensure is reflective in our news agenda. This is definitely something on my radar right now, and I’m figuring out how we can play a more prevalent part in supporting them on it.

What magazine do you stockpile?

Rolling Stone. I am a big music fan, so I do enjoy treating myself to a hard copy of this magazine to have a read through with a cup of tea, or a G&T. I know it’s been said a million times, but I will never not use the opportunity to stress how much nicer it is to physically read a magazine, as opposed to scrolling through content on a phone. You just can’t beat it!