Denise Junell Advisory

Premium & Luxury Retail | Operator + Advisor

Strategic guidance for brands at their moment of inflection.

I partner with brands and founders to build thoughtful growth strategies, strengthen assortments and create meaningful customer experiences across channels. I bring a balance of art and science to retail, working with brands at moments of inflection when the decisions made today define what the business becomes next. My operator experience leading major retail categories gives me the track record to guide brands through growth, transformation and category reinvention.

Advisory Philosophy

Clarity of Purpose & Customer

I start every engagement with two things: a brand's reason for being and an honest, rigorous read on who its customer is today and who the brand aspires to attract. That clarity, of purpose and of customer, becomes the lens for every decision that follows.

Clarity of Landscape & Story

I take a clear, honest look at the competitive landscape together with each brand, the exemplars, the peers, the ones changing the category and use that shared view to shape where the brand can compete, differentiate and lead.

Denise Junell Johnson in a green blouse at a consultation table

How I partner

  • Executive Advisory Partnership: I provide ongoing leadership guidance to strengthen decision-making, navigate key tradeoffs and align the organization around what matters most.
  • Brand Vision & Positioning: I help clarify your brand's north star, position in the category and customer profile while designing the product architecture needed to compete and grow.
  • Merchandising Reset: I diagnose where brand, customer demand and product performance are misaligned, prioritizing the highest-impact opportunities for the next 30-60-90 across category and pricing to protect margin and brand equity.
  • Distribution & Channel Strategy: I work with each brand to identify the next phase of growth, build the roadmap and prepare for expansion across directly operated and wholesale channels, both physical and digital.

Category Expertise: Handbags, Jewelry, Watches, Eyewear, Accessories, Footwear and premium + luxury lifestyle.

Engagements are tailored to your brand vision & growth ambition.

In Their Words

I worked with Denise for a number of years at Nordstrom; she was an instrumental partner to build 2 different categories of Accessories within the matrix. Both Handbags and Jewelry have completely different models of sales growth and need to be strategized with someone who has true knowledge of the categories and how it pertains to the Department Store business model. Denise has that knowledge.

— Alexis Bittar, Founder & Designer, Alexis Bittar

Denise combines exceptional fashion instinct with a strong business point of view, a true merchant in every sense of the word. She understands both the brand and the retailer need to win to build a successful business.

— Brett Fialkoff, CEO, Warren Lane

Denise is a consummate Jewelry Professional with the passion, knowledge and nuance to guide each brand to their full potential. She's been a pleasure to collaborate with on a number of projects, including brand visibility and image execution for a multi-brand advertising campaign. Denise’s product knowledge brings a special vision to Jewelry brands with an informed approach to success: She sees what makes a brand special and knows how to bring it into the spotlight.

— Cynthia Wolff, Founder & Creative Director, Cynthia Wolff Jewelry

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Prefer email? Send a note to hello [at] denisejunelladvisory [dot] com.