tton On Group with over 200 stores in 13 countries. Druce told Inside Retail in an exclusive interview that he wasn’t looking to exit Milligram, which opened its ninth store, in Adelaide, in July and is set to open its 10th location before Christmas.  “I’m still very much in love with Milligram and engaged with it. When you start a business, a lot of your blood, sweat and tears go into it. There’s a sense of identity as well,” he said. But when Cotton On Group approached him a few months ago about joining Typo, a similar business to Milligram in some ways, but on a much bigger scale, he couldn’t help but be intrigued.  “There was a familiarity to it which was really appealing, and it’s a great team. Milligram has gone from strength to strength, and we’ve got a cult following, but this is next level in terms of scale,” he said.  One of Australia’s biggest retailers, Cotton On Group reported record sales of $2.2 billion in FY23, according to accounts lodged with the corporate regulator.  Druce said the size of his team at Typo will be at least triple or quadruple the size of his team at Milligram. The opportunity to have a bigger impact as a leader was one of the factors that influenced his decision to take on the role.  “As you move through your career, it’s more about people and leadership and strategy, and that’s what I think I can add value with, which is super exciting,” he said.   At Milligram, Druce embraced a “coaching and encouragement style of leadership” and nurtured a “high performance, but relaxed and friendly” culture. A turning point in the company’s growth trajectory came when he “nailed the purpose of the business,” he said.  “We talk about being ‘tools for living’ and ‘making functional exciting’. The whole culture flourished around that,” he said about his tenure at Milligram. “It’s not just about sticking the words up on a poster on the wall. It’s about weaving it into every aspect of what you do.” Druce reflects on his retail philosophy As general manager of Typo, Druce will be responsible for leading the business globally across all customer touchpoints, from the omnichannel experience to marketing, brand direction, and product.  He declined to share any specific plans for Typo until he officially begins the role later this year, but he spoke generally about the opportunity he sees for retailers to create a sense of community for their customers.  “When we opened the [Milligram] store in Adelaide a couple of weeks ago, I had this really proud moment standing on the shop floor a few hours after it had opened,” he shared.  “We were worried because it was a new market, but we had hundreds of people and a queue out the front a few hours before we opened, and that was a great feeling.” He recalled one customer who said that the store had “the best selection of greeting cards in Adelaide”.  “It was a bit of a step-back moment in the sense that retail can be transactional, but actually, I think there’s a real power in unique, special retail where you have created a really lovely moment for a customer, a real sense of community with like-minded people,” Druce said.  “There are so many steps in the puzzle to make that happen. It’s about being ‘on point’ with products and being really engaged with your customers in terms of marketing. And then there’s the whole omnichannel layer to that – is it a seamless experience? How was that journey for the customer?”  While Druce said it was a hard decision in some ways to leave Milligram, after 15 years at the helm, he believes it’s time for a fresh perspective. Alison Evans, who joined the business last year as national head of retail, is stepping up as its new CEO.  “The growth plans are excellent, so I feel really good as a founder. It’s a delicate thing to find a way to exit, but I feel like the pieces are there for it to continue to be successful,” he said.