Canadian Retailer - Store 2013 - 26

STORE 2013 AWARDS OF DISTINCTION

CANADIAN RETAIL HALL-OF-FAME

A LIFETIME IN RETAIL HONOURED

Retail Hall-of-Fame inductee uses expertise gained
in the industry to help retailers grow and succeed
BY SEAN C. TARRY
JOHN WILLIAMS remembers his first job in retail. He held a

It was the combination of Williams’ adorpart-time position at Canada Safeway, starting out as a bagboy, ation for the retail environment and his knowpacking parcels and stocking shelves for 85 cents per hour. He ledge of the industry that convinced him of
remembers enjoying the retail environment and appreciating his calling.
the opportunity that it gave him to earn some income while
“I thought—I can use my head in an industry
maintaining his focus on his studies. He was, after all, 15.
that I really like,” he says. “I can help improve
“It was a fantastic place to start,” he says. “I was able to get to performance and assist with my expertise to
know and understand the industry and the customer from a com- help companies get off the ground.”
pletely honest and genuine viewpoint. Little did I
Q&A WITH JOHN WILLIAMS
know that I was going to have a career in retail.”
It’s even less likely, then, that he could have What are some of the biggest challenges facing retailers today?
“The biggest challenge has been, and always will be,
envisioned, more than a half century later, being dealing with the rate of change, especially the rapid growth
recognized for his industry contributions by Re- of e-commerce and smartphone use. Retailers need to
tail Council of Canada with an induction into the understand how these devices and capabilities change
Retail Hall-of-Fame, which he was honoured with consumer behaviour and, more importantly, how to adapt
their operations to it.”
at the 2013 Excellence in Retailing Awards.
“Frankly, I still haven’t got my head around it.,” What is the next big game-changer in retail?
“In Canada, the acknowledgement that every retailer must
says Williams of his induction. “It would be the be omnichannel. The possibilities are immense—instead
last thing in the world I’d ever expect. I’m just of serving a neighbourhood, you can serve the world. This
really humbled and pleased by the recognition.” requires finding a niche specialty in which you’re totally
unique and then getting the message out to the world.”

Earning his retail stripes

Which Canadian brands impress you the most today and why?

Williams graduated from the University of “Dollarama do a great job. Its private label offering is amazing.
Harry Rosen also does a terrific job, with great looking stores,
British Columbia and shortly thereafter received great brands and great use of e-commerce.”
a fellowship to attend the Kellogg School of
Management at Northwestern University where he earned his
That’s exactly what J.C. Williams Group
MBA. All the while he worked part-time in retail.
has been doing since Williams founded the
It wasn’t long after graduating that he gained a full-time company in 1974. They’ve worked with such
position at Eaton’s, before quickly moving up to department clients as BC Liquor Distribution Company,
manager in Victoria, B.C. Just as quickly he found himself in a Henry Birks & Sons, Le Chateau, Goodwill (instore manager’s role, overseeing operations at the Chilliwack dustries), Benjamin Moore, MasterCard, Wallocation. He was 25, and at the time was the youngest store Mart, Levi Strauss, Bell Canada and others
manager in the company.
to help develop new strategic concepts. The
He spent close to the next decade holding various senior company has also been involved in real estate
management and corporate positions, mainly in women’s fash- projects that have included The Dubai Mall,
ion, before moving on to Canadian advertising giant Vickers Deerfoot Meadows, and many years of work
and Benson.
for The Rouse Company, Cadillac Fairview,
Oxford Properties, and Ivanhoe Cambridge.
His true calling
Today, J.C. Williams Group continues to grow.
“Toward the end of my time at Eaton’s, I could see the hand- John Williams continues to enjoy what he does
writing on the wall,” he explains. “The company had been and looks forward to continuing helping clients
unable to modernize the catalogue and was not profitable. I grow and succeed in the industry that he loves.
thought that it was an environment where there wasn’t a lot of
“It’s a very exciting job. Every day I get to
growth, so I left to work for Vickers and Benson. They had me address new challenges, meet new people and
work on a consulting project for Gulf Oil. I realized immedi- work on new solutions for our clients. What
ately that I just loved the consulting.”
could be better?”
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