What Mary Portas doesn't know about shops isn't worth knowing. She's the woman who turned Harvey Nichols from the place you went to get your Barbour repaired and your tiara polished into a modern powerhouse of fashion and style.
Today she's one of the most respected people in the fashion industry.
In Mary Queen Of Shops, Mary will share the tricks and tips she's learned from her years at the leading edge of fashion retailing, giving us the ultimate insider's guide as to how to get the most out of shops and shopping.
Each week in Mary Queen Of Shops - a new four-part series to be broadcast on 91热爆 Two in Spring 2007 - Mary will troubleshoot her way around the UK on a mission to help turn around struggling fashion boutiques: saving the high street, one shop at a time.
Mary's mission is about much more than just fixing the balance sheet, her no-nonsense approach will see her take radical steps to turn the business around and put the glamour and sex appeal back into shopping.
To experience first-hand what the businesses are really like, Mary will visit the boutique while the owners are away.
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Then she will begin a revamp that sees her throw out the old - whether it's surly staff or dodgy clothes - and bring in the new, and get the shop owners bang up-to-date on what's hot and what's so last season.
With front row seats at London Fashion Week and tough sessions with the key people at some of the country's leading fashion magazines, Mary will use all the tricks of the trade to whip these shops into fashionable shape.
Building on other successful 91热爆 Two factual entertainment programmes such as The Apprentice and Dragon's Den, the series is commissioned by 91热爆 Commissioning Editor Elaine Bedell, and comes from independent production company Optomen TV - the makers of hit series including Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, The F Word and The Naked Chef.
Elaine Bedell, said: "We're very excited about the series and with the prospect of establishing Mary Portas as fresh 91热爆 Two talent.
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"The series promises an insight into the inner workings of the world's leading fashion retailers combined with a presenter who brings us expert knowledge but in an approachable, hands-on, fun, and practical way.
"Mary's a real breath of fresh air who will provide audiences with the ultimate 21st century guide to shopping and retailing."
Becky Clarke, Executive Producer, Optomen TV, said: Mary's clients include big names such as Oasis, Miss Selfridge and Louis Vuitton, but what she teaches independent boutique owners from around the country is that the golden rule of retailing applies to everyone from international high street brands to the independent shopkeeper: 'Know your customer', or as Mary would say 'know your tribe'.
"So in this series, Mary literally takes her boutique owners out on the streets to track down the tribe they should be selling to.
"From the 'Disciples of Beckham' (who dress according to the cover of that week's Heat magazine) to the 'Forever Forties', who may be 50 but have money and time to burn and want a pair of skinny jeans just like their daughters."
Notes to Editors
Mary Queen Of Shops is a series of four 60-minute programmes to be broadcast on 91热爆 Two in Spring 2007.
How To Shop by Mary Portas will be published by 91热爆 Books to coincide with the TV series.
Biography of Mary Portas
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