Employees at Brown Thomas and Arnotts have been notified that their fashion buying director, Shelly Corkery, is set to exit the company this Friday in search of fresh ventures. Originating from Cork, Ms Corkery has spent 24 years with the Irish retailer, occupying the role of fashion buying director for the last quarter of her tenure.
A communication from the chief executive of Brown Thomas Arnotts, Donald McDonald, revealed to personnel that Ms Corkery had been instrumental in the company’s success. It was under her watchful eye that initiatives such as the impressive refurbishment of the luxury accessory hall at Brown Thomas Grafton Street, the Irish design exhibition known as CREATE, and the introduction of an elevated range of exclusive brands, partnerships, and concessions to the outlets were implemented.
Mr McDonald added that he would be closely accompanying the fashion buying groups in the forthcoming weeks to devise “innovative ways of operating as we persist on another chapter of revolutionising retail and shaping the future of the Irish retail industry”.
Discussing her impending departure, Ms Corkery voiced: “My journey in this role has reached its finale and my time here will culminate on Friday, marking 24 years. I devoted everything to Brown Thomas and thoroughly enjoyed my employment, perpetuating the vision of the Westons and Paul Kelly [her husband], which was extraordinary. Times change, and although new proprietors have taken stewardship, it remains an exceptional store with possibilities for others to enhance its future.
“I have been active in the workforce since the age of 19 and must now concede to a six-month hiatus for my wellbeing. Fashion and collaboration with my team have been pivotal in my existence. I plan to now slow down, prioritise self-care and recovery from exhaustion. It was an arduous choice to quit a job that fueled my passion.”
Ms Corkery’s spouse, Mr Kelly, helmed Brown Thomas for a decade before ascending to an authoritative role within the Selfridges Group in the UK, which the Irish retail chain is a part of. He parted ways with the group in 2021.
In August 2022, the Weston family let go of Brown Thomas Arnotts to Cambridge Retail Group Holding Ltd, a collaboration between Thai firm Central Group and Signa Retail from Austria. It procured the enterprise as part of a more extensive transaction, worth £4 billion (€4.7 billion), that included retail elements like Selfridges.
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