Recognised as one of the UK’s leading brand strategists, Peter Cross, business partner of Mary Portas and Managing Partner of Yellowdoor, is a regular commentator on TV Radio and the national press on the subjects of retail, branding and consumer trends.
Peter has worked in marketing communications for over 20 years, starting his career at Burberry in the European buying team followed by an 11 year global career journey with L'Oreal. In 2000 Peter took up a position with the Richemont Group in charge of global communications for Dunhill before joining forces with Mary Portas at Yellowdoor as Managing Partner in 2004. In 2007, Peter and Mary embarked on a new venture, Mary Queen of Shops, with a BBC show and various ancillary projects. 2011 saw the move to Channel 4 with a new format ‘Mary Portas: Secret Shopper’.
Since then they have built one of Londons best respected retail and brand marketing agencies with clients ranging from Louis Vuitton and Mercedes Benz to Westfield, Clarks and Matalan.
In 2011, they opened a new fashion venture in House of Fraser, a shop focused on fashion for the forty plus woman, televised through a Channel 4 series, Mary Queen of Frocks. By the end of the year, their department was the best performing nationally across the entire House of Fraser estate. Five further flagships will open across the country in March.
They have also developed a chain of Marys “Living and Giving” shops with Save the children, widely respected as the most innovative and profitable charity shops in the UK. Peter lectures regularly around the globe on retail trends, branding and the customer experience.
