How Kevin Tulip went from a Christmas casual to Primark’s US president

Kevin Tulip has worked for Primark, the affordable apparel and lifestyle retailer founded in Ireland, for over two decades. From starting as a sales associate, he has worked his way up to store manager, director of sales and now his current role as the president of Primark’s US division, where he is hard at work with the team to expand the company’s bricks-and-mortar presence. 

Inside Retail spoke with Tulip at the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo to learn more about his origin story with the brand, and how he handles a jampacked schedule and achieves a true work-life balance. 

Inside Retail: You’ve been working for Primark since you were 16 years old. How did you first join the company and land the role you are in today?

Kevin Tulip: I started with Primark when I was 16, so I will be celebrating 22 years this year. 

I started with a temporary shift for the Christmas season on a weekend, outside of school, when I was just looking for a part-time job. Working in a very busy environment where you have this element of customers, colleagues, and commerciality, it was just something that I really fell in love with quite quickly and I realised that a career in retail could be something quite interesting. 

As I continued, I started to take a bit more of an interest in leadership. At that time, Primark was growing considerably in the UK. I believe we were opening around 40 stores at the time, which was huge growth, so I had the opportunity to move around the UK a lot.

At that point, I became a store manager, which is an incredible job to have, working in a store and then really understanding the responsibility [of] having hundreds of customers coming into your store every day, to having the right product, ensuring that it’s a safe work environment, and having hundreds of colleagues working with you.

One of the reasons why we focus so much on internal growth in Primark is if you’ve been a store manager and understand the responsibility that’s on your shoulders, it is an experience that never leaves you and guides you in the decisions you continue to take in your career. You always come back to how it felt being a store manager. 

IR: Did you have any other retail roles outside of Primark, and did you ever imagine you would be working for the same company two decades later?

KT: In the UK in school, you are required to do a two-week work experience so I did mine with Topshop and Topman when I was 15. I worked in the stockroom, prepping lines to then hit the sales floor, and I just remember how passionate people were and the feeling of community and energy that was going on in the store. I remember doing my first shift and already thinking, ‘Oh my God, I wonder if they have any other shifts available?’

I was still studying and twelve months into my time with Primark when I seriously started to think about going in full-time.

[I learned] it wasn’t about grades or certain subjects, it was really about if you have the passion [for this work] and being good with people and having the motivation. Very early on it was clear that Primark was willing to put a lot of energy in if you would too, so quite early on [in my career journey with the company], I already had that feeling that this is something I wanted to do.

Being in a role, having a lot of people around me and having that real life experience is really how I learned, so it’s no surprise that that was how I could really fast track my career.

IR: What was it about the company that captured your heart?

KT: I think there’s a few different things. One part of it was the clear career progression and the fact that it is very open to anybody to step into that. But I think the second part is really about the company’s culture. 

Primark is a business that has for a long, long time been extremely open and welcoming and I always felt that from when I started to today. That sense that you can be yourself and it’s not just accepted, it’s celebrated. 

Not to get too personal, but I remember coming out and being very open about coming out at work and feeling that it was very natural to do so. No matter your background or where you’re from, it doesn’t matter. It was just very obvious from day one that that was the culture that Primark had and still has today. 

IR: What does a day in your life look like?

KT: Quite often I’m up at 4:30 am to get a workout class. Then I’m in the office pretty early. I tend to be out traveling two to three times a week and I really like to spend as much time as I can in-store. As a physical bricks-and-mortar retailer, I  think it’s incredibly important that all of us in the business spend time in stores. 

When I’m in the office, it’s really about spending time with either the US leadership team or key stakeholders within the team and really listening, coaching, and challenging everyone around us on how we can continue to build the business and brand in the US. 

When I get home, I definitely like to relax later on at night and my boyfriend loves to cook, so we like to sit down, have a meal, and watch a little bit of Dutch TV. 

IR: With such a hectic work-life balance, how do you keep yourself organised and centered?

KT: I like to be busy. I have a lot of energy and for me, the balance between that high energy and being very strict on my own timekeeping and organisation works well. Realising what works well for you is important. 

I think a lot of people will give you advice and it’s always good to take what you can from everyone else, but also actually figure out what works for you. For me, leaning into that high energy that I have, getting up at 4:30 am and doing workout classes is exactly that. 

Sometimes my head is the clearest on a treadmill at 5:00 am. 

IR: What is it about the retail industry at large that has kept you in this industry for 20-plus years?

KT: First and foremost it’s a people-orientated business. Not just in Primark, but with all retailers, you’re working with big teams and things move very quickly.

I think some people might look at a bricks-and-mortar retailer like Primark and say, ‘Where’s the innovation?’ or ‘What’s changing?’

We are so fast-paced, whether it’s about products, operations or customer service, we are constantly talking and getting feedback and thinking about what’s next. There’s never a day that looks alike nor is there ever a boring day. 

IR: What are you excited about right now?

KT: I’m very excited about opening our first store in Texas later this year. I think we’ve started to build up a good amount of experience now around the Northeast, with store openings in cities like Chicago, but I think Texas is the furthest away [we’ve done]. I think we’ve got a lot to learn and I’m extremely excited about getting in, learning those lessons as we go on, and seeing what the opportunity could look like for us in a market like Texas on a long-term basis.  

[Personally] I look forward to getting married next year. My boyfriend and I are going to get married in the Netherlands where he’s from, so I have that [special] connection with the country after living there for eight years. Having my family and friends in one place on one day, which doesn’t happen that often as my friend base is spread throughout so many countries, is pretty extraordinary. 

IR: What was your first Primark purchase, and if you aren’t able to recall, what was your most recent buy?

KT: Well, I definitely can’t remember that one as it was over 22 years ago. One of my last purchases was actually the suit that I’m wearing today. This was a part of our new menswear range with a UK influencer called Kem Cetinay, whom we’ve done a few different collaborations with. 

IR: So basically you’re living, breathing, and wearing Primark.

KT: Absolutely. 

The post How Kevin Tulip went from a Christmas casual to Primark’s US president appeared first on Inside Retail Australia.