The annual Retail 100 index celebrates leaders who are transforming retail, speaking out, innovating, making headlines and driving growth. 

Gary Grant, founder and chief executive of The Entertainer, has been announced as one of retail’s most influential leaders of 2020 in the Retail 100, an annual ranking published by RWRC, home of Retail Week and World Retail Congress.

On receiving the news, Gary thanked his team: “I am delighted to have been recognised as one of the most influential people in retail, but this influence has only been possible as a result of the strong and committed team I have supporting me. In every part of the business, from our shops to logistics to head office, I am fortunate to have people truly dedicated to the success of The Entertainer and I’m extremely grateful for all they do.”

This year, the Retail 100 has placed special emphasis on leaders who have stepped up in the face of the pandemic and made tough but necessary decisions in response.

Gary added: “I have always believed that retail can and should be a ‘Force for Good’, and we are committed to supporting the communities we serve. As well as our charitable commitment to them we have also recognised that the way our customers like to shop will undoubtedly have changed over the past few months, so we have introduced new ways to serve them – such as our Ready in 10 service.  This allows customers to pay for their item outside the store and have it brought to them within 10 minutes. We will always look for new ways to serve our customers as retail continues to change and evolve.”

Representing the developing retail ecosystem, there are 23 new faces in this year’s list. Rishi Sunak is the highest placed new entry, following his introduction of measures with retailers in mind. The Retail 100 also features more female leaders than ever before in the list’s history – 23, up from 18 last year.