Thank you for your interest in the HBS Retail and Luxury Goods Club! Unfortunately, HBS Admissions asks us not to get involved in the recruitment process with prospective students; however, below is some additional background on the Club for your reference – we hope that this is useful as you make your admissions decisions!
Prospective Students FAQs
- What is the mission of the HBS Retail & Luxury Goods Club?
The Retail and Luxury Goods Club serves to educate its members and the entire HBS community about retail and luxury concepts, challenges, and opportunities. We provide club members with links to HBS faculty and other students with shared interests, provide career planning and recruiting contacts through inspiring speaker series and outreach events, and plant the seeds for entrepreneurial opportunities within this diverse field. We are always seeking new ways to bring exciting companies to campus and draw upon the passion of our members for retail, fashion, design and brands to further solidify the link between the HBS community and the ever-changing retail, apparel and luxury goods industries.The club’s focus in 2010/2011 will be on building an alumni arm of the club to strengthen relationships between students and alumni in the industry. - What are the types of activities that the Retail and Luxury Goods Club Supports?
Some of the activities that took place in the 2009/2010 year have been:- Retail Industry week support & RC recruiting support e.g. mentorship, peer resume review, student panels
- New York and West Coast “treks” to companies in the retail, apparel, and luxury goods industries. Keynote speakers from the 2009/2010 year included Steve Sadove (CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue), Steve Alan (CEO of Steve Alan), Erik Joule, (SVP Merchandising & Design, Levi’s North America) and Ron Johnson (SVP Retailing – Apple).
- Ongoing speaker series: included Christine Beauchamp, President of Ann Taylor Stores, Susan Feldman, Co-Founder of One Kings Lane, Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, and Alexis Maybank, Co-Founders, Gilt Groupe, among others
- Charity Fashion Show, which raised over $6000 in 2008-2009 for Conservation International. The 2009/2010 Fashion Show will benefit the Harris Center for Education and Advocacy in eating disorders.
- Retail & Luxury Goods Conference included speakers Bernd Beetz, Chief Executive of Coty, Terry Lundgren, CEO, Chairman of the Board, President, and Director of Macy’s Inc., and Patrizio di Marco, President and CEO of Gucci, Project Runway’s Christian Siriano, as well as several executives from across the retail industry. Please see www.hbsrlgconference.com for more information.
- From a recruiting perspective, how big of a presence do the retail, apparel, and luxury industries have at HBS?
The retail, apparel, and luxury goods categories are small but significant industries within the HBS community (approximately 5%, or 40-50 students work in the retail and apparel industries during the summer, and a slightly smaller percentage work in these industries post-business school). The types of jobs and graduates take range widely – some work in management development programs at large corporations, while others work at startup organizations – there are a number of unique possibilities! While some companies do formally recruit at HBS (this year’s recruiters included The Estee Lauder Companies, Sears Holding Corporation, LL Bean, Nike, Wal-Mart, Coach, Amazon, and Apple Retail, among others), a large portion of the job search process is through a networked search. These dual processes have been successful for students in the past – this summer, for example, the class of 2010 interned at companies such as The North Face, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Amazon, LVMH, and Lululemon. The Retail & Luxury Goods Club works together with HBS Career Services and with students to help alert them to new job opportunities and provide guidance and advice in the job search process. - What events can I take part in as a non-HBS student?
The RLGClub has two major events that are open to the greater community.
The Retail and Luxury Goods Conference brings together members of the student community, alumni, faculty, distinguished business leaders, and community members to explore the opportunities and challenges facing retailers and consumer brands in an ever-changing business environment. This year’s event took place on March 7, 2010. Please see http://hbsrlgconference.com/ for more information.
The Retail and Luxury Goods Club Fashion Show is a charity fashion show featuring HBS students and partners. Last year’s fashion show took place in downtown Boston, had over 350 attendees, and donated several thousand dollars to Conservation International. This year’s event will take place on April 13, 2010 and will support The Harris Center for Education and Advocacy in Eating Disorders [Mass General Hospital]. For more information, please visit www.thehbsfashionshow.com.