The 3 Principles That Guide Claire's EVP and Chief Merchant Claudia Lima-Guinehut
In this episode of Women in Retail Talks, Women in Retail Leadership Circle Senior Editor Marie Albiges interviews Claudia Lima-Guinehut, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Claire’s, the global teen fashion brand known for ear piercing and accessories. Listen in as Lima-Guinehut recounts her 25-years of experience in the retail industry (1:30), including her nonlinear career journey (3:20), and why she pushed outside of her comfort zone (5:30). She discusses balancing learning and leadership (7:20), maintaining Claire’s legacy while innovating to capture Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers (11:15), and the brand’s global expansion (13:50).
In addition, Lima-Guinehut addresses customer demand for the Claire’s brand in new categories (14:45), its new Pierced by Claire’s reimagined piercing experience (16:30), the three principles that guide her leadership style (17:55), and how she puts empathy into practice (19:50). Lastly, she shares her goal to help shape the next generation of retail leaders (21:55) and the value gained from mentoring younger leaders (23:05).
With a proven track record of more than 20 years of creating compelling multichannel product offerings, Lima-Guinehut was appointed executive vice president and chief merchandising officer of Claire’s in June 2023. Lima-Guinehut leads the company’s global merchandising, sourcing, and design strategy as well as the brand’s industry-leading piercing business. Most recently, Lima-Guinehut served as senior vice president, global merchandising and strategic partnerships at The Children’s Place, Inc., where she was responsible for creating and delivering product strategies for all brands across multiple channels of distribution, as well as leading operations for wholesale and international franchise businesses from 2014 to 2023. Prior, she was director of international merchandising for Destination Maternity from 2011 until 2014 and held roles of increasing responsibility at Zara, Camuto Group, Ralph Lauren, and Fifth & Pacific Companies. Lima-Guinehut earned her bachelor of science in marketing from New York University and her SIPA master of business administration from Columbia University.
Date: July 9, 2024
Credits: Claudia Lima-Guinehut
Duration: 25:47
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