The Very Group

⭐ 2,495 ⭐ That’s how many times our WAVE (Women at Very) network has brought together women from across the business through watercooler pairings over the last four years. These in person or online meetups have helped women connect with each other, often for the first time, leading to new friendships and support systems, stronger networks and a brilliant sense of community. ☕ Shout out to Jenn Jones - Gray and Natalie Cookson who snapped this selfie at their watercooler meet up. Jenn said: “It really is amazing how much you can get from spending 30 minutes with someone that you wouldn’t usually interact with day-to-day. I absolutely love my watercooler chats and have learned so much from them. Bring on next month’s meet up!” Big thanks to Karen Murphy for bringing so much positive energy to the table and arranging more than 60 watercooler pairings every month, and to the OG WAVE-er Lucie Child whose vision started it all by bringing 13 women together for a cuppa back in 2019! #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

We’re happy to share that our director of credit risk, Mark Harrison-North, has been named Mentor of the Year at the Women in Credit Awards! 🏆 A true inclusion ally, Mark has brilliantly supported women’s career growth and championed their progression. With 30 years at Very under his belt (wow!), his mentoring journey is nothing short of inspiring. Here are some highlights: ✨ Created a succession plan that helped promote three amazing women to senior roles in our credit risk team. ✨ Empowered women to step into leadership positions by giving them the spotlight at big company events and meetings. ✨ Mentored and supported women beyond his own team, making a real impact across the business. Our group legal director, Michelle Curtis, who is one of Mark’s mentees, said: “Mark has been an amazing support to me. He makes himself available to listen, share his perspective and challenge me in the right way. He encourages me to think as a leader, be proud of who I am and embrace that in my role.” Huge congratulations, Mark. This recognition is so well-deserved! 🏆 #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

We're proud to share that we’ve been awarded a silver accreditation by Diversity in Retail for our ongoing commitment to making Very a place where everyone feels welcomed, represented and valued. 🙌✨   We were recognised for:   🤝 Embedding inclusion throughout the colleague and customer experience. 💭The ongoing introduction of initiatives and learning opportunities to equip leaders across the business with the skills to lead inclusively. 🎯Setting targets for creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.   Read more about the new accreditation on our blog: https://lnkd.in/e6vZnJ6C [Photo credit: our amazing LGBT+ network at Liverpool Pride 2024. 📸]   #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

We’re always proud to have teammates who go the extra mile - literally! 🏃 This amazing group of colleagues from our fulfilment centres in the East Midlands and Wrexham took on the Robin Hood Half Marathon, raising an impressive £1,300 for Mighty Max, a courageous seven-year-old boy whose family is fundraising for critical brain cancer treatment. After months of hard work and training, they crossed the finish line with smiles and smashed their fundraising goal! ✨ A big congratulations to Jennifer Adams, Darren Gallop, Joe Collins, Richard Cooling, Ian Wilson, Mel Limbert, and Lee Howard. You did us proud. Well done, team! #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

What an incredible day at VeryCon: peak unwrapped!   Our internal conference was packed with inspiration and a big dose of Very sparkle as we gear up for our busiest (and favourite) time of the year.   Our highlights: 🎄 A motivating opening session with our CEO, Robbie Feather, reminding us that Christmas is just 11 weeks away. 🎁 Updates from our executive team on what’s in store for each area of the business, with a touch of festive fun (think pink Santa hats, tinsel and pass the parcel). 📱 A brilliant live Q&A with Very customers on what makes a great shopping experience. 🦩 A deep dive into how we’re using insight and data to create a Christmas marketing campaign that will really make it sparkle for our customers. 👀 A sneak peek at the season’s hottest products - from fashion and homeware to toys and tech. 📸 Festive fun in our photography studio with makeup masterclasses and team photoshoots.   Big thanks to everyone involved in making the day happen and the 1,500 teammates who joined in us in person or online.   Peak 2024, we are ready for you! #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

Our fl-amazing chief customer officer Jessica Myers has been named one of the UK’s most effective marketers by Marketing Week. 🙌🏼✨   Earlier this week, the publication released its Top 100 list spotlighting the UK’s best marketers, and Jess has been named among the top 10 in the general retail category.   Jess has played a pivotal role in the creation and launch of Very's ‘Let’s make it sparkle’ brand platform, including the introduction of our flamingo fluent devices and the launch of our Haus of Flamingo fashion platform.🦩   Plus, since taking on the role of CCO, Jess has been the driving force behind the launch of our reimagined retail media proposition, Very Media Group.   Congratulations Jess - keep making it sparkle ✨   Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e3REaWAs   #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

Our new aspiring managers programme has officially launched! 🚀   Over nine weeks, the group will work through leadership development modules including self-awareness, building resilience, managing change, high performance and presenting skills, led by our wonderful learning and development manager Darren Gallop.   It’s an exciting moment in our journey to create a clear pathway for future leaders and make Very a place where brilliant people belong, grow and are inspired and empowered to make a difference.   Good luck to everyone involved, you’ll be amazing. 🤩   Abby Smyth Alexandra Hyde Jenny W. Sarah Williams Bernadette Moriarty Angie S. Dr. Peter York #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

Very’s brand-new toys ad campaign is out today! 📺🦩✨   Our marvellous marketing and creative teams have worked closely with The Gate London to create ‘Daydreaming’ – a story which sees Coral, the young flaminglet, drifting off into a daydream about her favourite toys.   We know how important Christmas is to our customers, with many of them already thinking ahead to the festive season. That's why we're launching this new campaign to inspire families, featuring some of the most exciting and popular toys and brands for 2024.   Plus, the campaign cleverly remasters 'Boys' from pop icon Charli XCX, to playfully land messaging focusing on Very’s toys range!   Read more here: https://lnkd.in/esECBVxX   #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a manager in our customer care team? Let’s spend a week with the brilliant Matthew Turner to find out… (Oh, and Mabel too! 🐶) #LifeAtTheVeryGroup

We’re fortunate to have five generations of teammates working together. ✨   That’s a whole lot of experiences, perspectives and strengths we can all learn from — and our fantastic GENS (Generations at Very) network is encouraging us to do just that.   Today, GENS hosted a live panel event on intersectionality and the importance of creating an age-inclusive culture where we can all show up as our authentic selves.   Our panelists shared their personal journeys, from challenging stereotypes around age and gender, to prioritising time for prayer during the working day, managing geographically diverse teams, and embracing personal vulnerabilities as strengths.   A big thank you to our in-person and online audiences for their engagement during the Q&A session and helping us keep this important conversation going. 💬   And a special shout out to our amazing panelists and everyone who made this event possible: Mark Newman, Ellie McLaughlin, Sahra I., Harriet Bridge, Taliawat Adams, Eleanor Firth, Joe Danson, Heidi Schacht, Katie Ventre, Christie Gray, Claire Colloff, Kim Pritchard.   #LifeAtTheVeryGroup #ImpactMatters #NationalInclusionWeek2024