This week's inspiration is Fredrika Erlandsson, who, after a long background in leading roles in the Danish and Swedish fashion industry, today works as an advisor and consultant focusing on strategy, leadership, supply chain, and organization.

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Fredrika, you have a long background as a leader in several retail companies, how do you see the development in retail and what is happening right now in the area?

Without a doubt, retail has faced enormous change in recent years. The trends we saw even before the pandemic have only accelerated both development and transformation with a large dominance on the e-commerce side. Global e-commerce is expected to continue to grow strongly - it affects our purchasing behaviors and is also characterized by large international players who set the tone with both extensive product offerings and fast deliveries.

For companies, it is crucial to offer a seamless experience across different channels, integrating physical stores with e-commerce and social media to meet customer expectations. Agility and hybrid thinking, as well as an always-on-mindset, become necessary. The impact of technology cannot be overemphasized, especially digitalization and personalization. The use of AI for tailored recommendations and personalized marketing campaigns becomes central to understanding and engaging customers.

The sustainability perspective is of course also crucial, with increased demand for circularity, sustainable products, and transparency around production and materials, as well as demands for financially sustainable business models and compliance with regulations. I would also like to highlight re-commerce as a growing trend, where encouragement for second hand is promoted to increase product lifespan and reduce environmental impact.

It will be exciting to see how these changes shape the future of commerce!

You also run VOCA Mentorship, a company that offers mentorship primarily aimed at senior leaders in the business world. How did you come up with this idea and how do you get feedback on the results the mentorship provides?

I believe that we as leaders in today's changing work climate have an ever-greater need to quickly, and with high quality, gain access to that important outside perspective, competence and experience. That is also the reason why I started VOCA. I am passionate about making a difference in results - both for individuals and companies. And with the mentorship, which is that unique combination of goal-oriented coaching and business-oriented advice, I get to do just that. The fact that we also, through our customer surveys and follow-ups that we do after completed programs, receive enormously positive feedback and create results - is of course a privilege!

What are your best career tips for young leaders?

Take care of your personal and professional development, and remember that leadership is a privilege.

Stay curious. Always. Be curious about the people around you and the business you are working with. Dare to be vulnerable and ask for help - together is always stronger than alone.

Focus on the customer. Understand who your customer is and how to meet them from different perspectives – without a customer – there is no business.

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