This week, we’re joined by the brilliant Glenn , Founder of DEN Loungewear — and a true retail all-rounder who’s spent years shaping menswear for some of the UK’s biggest high-street names, including Primark, Arcadia, and Next . Glenn’s story begins where so many retail careers do on the shop floor. Starting as a sales assistant at Topman, he quickly caught the buying bug and made the move to head office, where he built a career defined by creativity, commercial instinct, and an eye for great product. From trainee buyer at Burton to buyer at Next, Glenn shares how the best retailers invest in developing their people, and how resilience, teamwork, and understanding how others work are just as essential as a love of fashion. We chat about his proudest moments from launching the Primark Pride range , to creating Next’s best-selling onesie as a trainee buyer, to that unforgettable Christmas jumper sign-off with Sir Philip Green (and a few lessons learned about toxic leadership and how the industry’s culture is changing for the better). Glenn also opens up about his leap from buyer to business owner, turning a lockdown hobby into a thriving brand. Using his long-standing supplier relationships and a keen sense for what customers really want, he launched DEN Loungewear a stylish, quality-driven collection designed for comfort and confidence. From spending his redundancy money on his first production run to seeing his designs come to life in a Greek summer shoot, Glenn’s story is a masterclass in passion, perseverance, and trusting your instincts. This episode is packed with insights for anyone in retail, buying, or brand-building from navigating your early career to leading with empathy, and knowing when to take that next big leap. ✨ Key Takeaways Relationships are everything – The connections you build with suppliers and teams can shape your entire career and open doors when you least expect it. Good buyers can buy anything – It’s not just about the product; it’s about understanding customers, data, and the story behind what you’re selling. Take risks and back yourself – Sometimes the biggest opportunities come from the boldest decisions — even if that means spending your redundancy on pants! Check out denloungewear.com to see Glenn’s designs and learn more about how he’s turned years of buying experience into a thriving brand of his own. 🎧 Tune in for career lessons, retail insights, and plenty of laughs from someone who’s truly been there, bought that, and now built something brilliant. Support the show If you've liked this episode please rate, follow, subscribe and share :) - and if you already have, thank you! Follow us @buyingandbeyond on Instagram Send us a DM or email
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