Ruth Golightly

Wildcard
DISC Type : sic

Head of Buying at Matalan

Ashby-De-La-Zouch, England, United Kingdom

Overview

Ruth Golightly is the Head of Buying for Childrenswear at Matalan, bringing over two decades of retail experience from senior roles at George at Asda and Next. Her expertise spans childrenswear, womenswear, and brand licensing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Demontfort University.

Described as energetic and inspiring by her colleagues, Ruth thrives on collaboration and enjoys engaging in open, honest conversations within the industry. She is passionate about creating a positive team environment and has a demonstrated history of going above and beyond for customers.

In a previous leadership role, she highlighted that licensed products accounted for nearly 30% of all childrenswear sales, underscoring her focus on strategic brand partnerships.

Personality Overview

Requires Proof

Friendly But Slow

Curious But Skeptical

They typically tend to be late adopters even when they seem friendly and excited about what you have to sell  They are unlikely to ever become strong champions even when the conversations are going well; you should focus on cultivating other champions They are often friendly and nice, but can sometimes suprise you with their piercing questions

Topics They Care About

Childrenswear Retail
Her primary focus at Matalan, with deep-rooted expertise in the category from her extensive career at George at Asda and Next.
Brand Licensing
A key area of responsibility and interest, she recently represented Matalan at Brand Licensing Europe to explore new collaborations and range launches.
Strategic Partnerships
Her interest in major brands like The Walt Disney Company reflects her focus on leveraging partnerships to drive sales and increase market share.

Media Appearances

Ruth has no verified media appearances

Work History

9-2025
Head of Buying at Matalan
9-2022 - 9-2025
Senior Director-Design, Sales, childrenswear Licensing at Blues Group
4-2021 - 9-2022
Head of womenswear, covering all categories across, clothing, footwear, accessories, swimwear at George at Asda
9-2020 - 4-2021
Head of Baby and Maternity at George at Asda
1-2016 - 9-2020
Head of Buying girlswear and babywear / licensing manager at George at Asda

Education

1992 - 1995
Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Demontfort University (Bedford)
1988 - 1992
A levels from Queen Elizabeth high school, Hexham

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 9 Location : Ashby-De-La-Zouch, England, United Kingdom Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Head of Buying at Matalan
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Insights For Selling To Ruth

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Build rapport, it will come handy to handle hard questions later
  • Help them realize that there is no personal risk in making this decision
  • Persuade objectively how your product will help them achieve their goals

DONT's

  • Do not sound overly eager, modulate your energy levels especially if you are generally enthusiastic
  • Avoid winging it with them particularly, answer a question only if you know the answer well
  • Avoid phrases like ‘trust me’, ‘you will just love it’ etc.

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Ruth is

  • Clear proof of product value matters to them, followed by others' testimonials and rapport.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Ruth

  • They are likely to give you a clear answer without taking you around in circles. However, if you share a good relationship, they might not be so forthcoming.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Ruth move?

  • They like to perform full analysis and can take time to make any decision.
  • Can Ruth take some risk or not?

  • They weigh all decisions systematically and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Ruth

Personality Compatibility


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