Ayo Amusan is the Founder/CEO of Persianas Retail Limited (PRL), a leading retail company and the highest-earning sports brand retailer in Nigeria. PRL is currently the official partner of the PUMA and Lacoste brands in Nigeria, with 13 PUMA, Lacoste, and The Mix stores. The company is notably female-led, with a significant representation of women in leadership roles and brand building, community building, partnerships, integrations, and consolidations.
She has onboarded several international brands, including PUMA, Lacoste, Hugo Boss, Hackett, Armani, and Paul Smith, among others. Her vision has always been to make these international brands accessible to Nigerian consumers, while also promoting local brands and ensuring global-standard shopping experiences in Nigeria’s emerging premium retail sector.
Since launching PRL in 2009, she has been at the forefront of driving growth in Nigeria’s retail sector and building a formidable community alongside it. Ayo and her team are committed to driving the retail culture in Nigeria and are constantly delivering the most immersive and innovative shopping experiences to customers.
Leveraging media and entertainment partnerships with global sensations like Davido, PRL is expanding Nigeria’s footprint globally. The PUMA X Davido collaboration is noteworthy as the first of its kind where a global brand like PUMA collaborates with an African artist to launch a full collection. The collaboration continues to drive remarkable disruption in the retail sector, making PRL the go-to fashion brand retailer in Nigeria.
She is also a Director and on the board of the Persianas Group, Nigeria’s largest indigenous commercial real estate and retail development company, with 6 nationwide.
Persianas built Palms, Nigeria’s first standard mall, and their portfolio includes FMCG brands such as Shoprite and Jara Supermarkets. The group is building The Arena, Africa’s first purpose built 12,000 capacity sports and entertainment venue, and it is set to open in Lagos by December 2025.
Ayo is a Business of Fashion (BoF 500) member and award winner. She is also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organisation (YPO), the Institute of Directors Nigeria (IoD), and the Society of Corporate Governance Nigeria (SCGN). She currently serves on the boards of Persianas Group, Skillup Africa Limited, and Seaview Investments Limited.
She consistently leverages her platform to unite, elevate, and inspire as many people as possible. She also participates in impactful community activities centered around women and children.
Beautiful beginnings and influences
I had a beautiful upbringing, thanks to my parents. My late Dad took on an ambitious project in building a residential estate, unlike any we’ve seen since. Beachland estate. A community with a chapel, a prestigious German school, Nigerian and expat residences, broad, safe streets ideal for kids’ bike rides, and a stunning waterfront location. The estate is its own little world. My mother joined him initially during construction of it, and then in the management of the estate.
I have had it instilled in me from an early age that hard work and ambition are forever entwined. I saw first-hand how ambition could only be limited by one’s imagination, and the dividends of the graft you put in, would swiftly follow. I’ve carried this with me throughout my development and into my professional life.
My father loved water – this is where my love for water came from. From very early on, my siblings and I were introduced to everything around water and when it is time for me to escape, this is where I go.
What inspired you to get into the retail industry, especially the sports retail segment? What was your vision and motivation?
My retail career began in the UK and the enthusiasm and excitement customers got from walking away with new belongings never got old. Seeing this first hand was inspirational.
After my degree, I ended up in the finance team of a fashion company but honestly, my heart wasn’t crunching numbers and balancing accounts, I was more interested in understanding how everything worked behind the scenes in retail from production to buying, to the shop floor but my bosses told me to stick to reconciliations. We often call back-end of retail the unsexy part of this business, and it probably is, however, if you have a love for data and analytics, you will understand the joy from being able to uncover valuable insights that can enhance the customer experience and ultimately who we want to keep happy, always.
Getting into sports retail was a no brainer for me. It just fits my personal style and strategy perfectly. Around 2016/17 streetwear brands started infiltrating all kinds of fashion and I quickly realized not only was it easier to merchandise, but once displayed, it was easier to sell. So, we made a plan and focused in this direction and by 2019, our entire portfolio was focused on sports and ‘athleisure.’ When COVID hit a year later, we never looked back. We thanked our lucky stars for a strategy well chosen. Sports is a huge part of everyone’s lives. It unites us. We watch it, we play it, we work out and we can’t stop talking about it one way or the other.
The constant motivation comes from seeing our vision succeed and watching our people grow. The vision to break new barriers comes from the adrenaline rush from the motivation. Honestly, we are like a self-propelling flywheel and excitement just keeps going.
What have been some of the key challenges you’ve faced in building and growing your retail businesses? How have you overcome those challenges?
Building a thriving retail business in Nigeria is no small feat. Many of the challenges stem from macroeconomic issues such as inflation, volatile foreign exchange rates, limited access to funds, infrastructure deficiencies, logistics and clearing issues. These factors heavily impact the retail sector and at PRL, we continuously navigate these hurdles always seeking to learn, to grow and do better amidst adversity.
As a self-funded entity like ours currently experiencing steep growth, we simply cannot afford to rest on our laurels, as these factors persistently affect our business and society as a whole. I know we are not alone in navigating this complex landscape but we (the PRL team) work our butts off to minimise any detrimental impact on our bottom line and on our people.
As a female entrepreneur in a traditionally male-dominated industry, what advice would you give to other women looking to start or grow their own retail businesses in Nigeria?
The Nigerian retail landscape is tough, particularly for women who often face additional complexities in a male dominated field. However, instead of being discouraged, view it as a chance to forge your own unique path. With the broad scope of retail, it is important to identify your passion and strive to become an expert or the best in that area. I also firmly believe that relationships form the foundation of success in many aspects of life. Therefore, building a strong network is crucial for any aspiring entrepreneur.
How do you maintain a work-life balance while running multiple successful retail operations? What tips can you share for effective leadership and management?
Balance is a myth Lol! Okay, on a more serious note, I honestly love what I do. My work is my life and my life is my work. Having said that, maintaining a healthy work life balance whilst managing multiple retail operations is becoming more of a priority for me now. I try to take breaks which I predominantly spend with my family or on the water. I have a boat license so driving on the water is where you will almost always find me.
For effective leadership, I do not believe there is a one size fits all blueprint. In my experience, I’ve come to find that leading by example resonates the most. By consistently demonstrating a strong work ethic, dedication and a commitment to empowering and nurturing my teams’ growth, I have witnessed first-hand the positive results in their execution and efficiency.
The success of the business is not solely dependent on me, it is a collective journey. This is why it is essential to bring your authentic self to the table and allowing your team to do same. Trusting them to make the right decisions, sometimes they get it wrong but holding themselves accountable is essential for our mutual respect and ultimately our collective growth.
What role do you see your businesses playing in the broader economic and social development of Nigeria? How are you giving back to your community?
Our organisation is filled with a dynamic and enthusiastic team of people who are passionate, dedicated and hardworking. This vibrant culture is the driving force behind our success which fuels our expansion. As we continue to grow, we attract more young energetic people who share our values and contribute to our on-going success.
I am committed to ensuring that lots of learning and growth never diminishes at PRL with or without me at the helm. As we strengthen our workforce, we also bring innovative and ambitious retail opportunities within the fingertips of Nigerians. With this unwavering drive, we are confident on ensuring to make a lasting impact in the retail industry.
Where do you see your retail companies in the next 5-10 years? What are your key growth strategies and goals for the future?
Beyond me or my companies, the retail industry’s growth and reach will ensure the success of all of us stakeholders. At the group level, we are creating an ecosystem focused on trade, community development, infrastructure enhancement, tourism, sports and entertainment. An all encompassing shopping experience that goes beyond the walls of the store or the click of your online purchase.
At PRL, a lot of our brands marry into this philosophy and drive our growth. Global fashion now has immersed itself into the sports and athleisure brands, so with some of our brands like LACOSTE and PUMA, we are confident we are not only trending in the right direction of popular culture, but strategically positioning ourselves as ‘market makers’ in the coming years. We will continue to be a force for good in the communities we operate in. We’ll expand our social responsibility initiatives, focusing on education, youth development, and environmental sustainability. By implementing these growth strategies and achieving our goals, PRL will continue to be a leading force in Nigerian retail, not just for commercial success, but also for making a positive social impact.
The company is notably female-led, with a significant representation of women in leadership roles and a predominantly female workforce. What is the reason for this?
Truthfully, it was not intentional, but I love it for us. We really do cherish our guys and are quite protective of them. We will go the extra mile to make them feel extra special. We don’t have and will never have a gender based hiring policy.
Perhaps my role as the leader might have had something to do with the numbers of female applicants, I really don’t know, but one thing is certain, at PRL we have always promoted people based on skill, passion, drive and that extra something that makes them stand out. It’s a fun but serious environment and high performance is embedded in our culture. We are always ready to welcome anyone we feel embodies our traits, regardless of their gender.
Over 20 years of operational and leadership experience in the retail, entertainment, and real estate industries. What have you learnt? What would you love to share?
It’s not been plain sailing. We have had our share of downward turns in our journey. I have most certainly learnt that there is no company in the world that has had a moonshot to success. Day-to-day operations in this industry is challenging from shop floor to back office, and in-between, and I have never had the arrogance to believe I have mastered it. Some of our most notable successes have been birthed from the lessons we have learnt from our mistakes. The one constant throughout though, has been the resolve of the team. The ‘we can’ mindset I’ve always projected has been instrumental in guiding us through some challenging periods, often meted by factors outside our control. The audacity to keep going. There are no easy outs, but that team pulling together has always been that characteristic we invoke to attack the obstacles.
I believe ensuring that people understand they’re part of something bigger than themselves, part of a journey and part of a close-knit family is the best way to build a great team.I think observation is key as well. Observing people, finding out their strengths, weaknesses, what works best for them allows us to put them in a position where they can succeed. I believe in being true to oneself. I am never trying to be like anybody, and I know nobody is trying to be like me. We all bring something to the table, and I make it a point to find it, hone it, and drive it to the company’s success.
Your idea was to make these international brands accessible to Nigerian consumers, while also promoting local brands and ensuring global-standard shopping experiences in Nigeria’s emerging premium retail sector. Would you say you have completely achieved this?
It’s a journey, and there’s more that lies ahead. I believe we have started doing this with our brands, PUMA and Lacoste, and with the relationships we’ve made along the way. We already have more brands which will onboard in the near future. We have an exciting group of young designers we occasionally work with in our pop up locations. Truly, we have a depth of talent locally and we want to be the launchpad for these young geniuses into the fashion landscape.
What does family mean to you? How do you relax? What is Mrs Amusan’s ‘me time’ like?
This is a tough one to put into words. My incredible husband and children are my backbone, my dependable group of unconditional love, devotion, support and encouragement.
Raising a family and the necessary sacrifices one devotes is all the more rewarding when you see how the now adults have turned out. My love for my husband has never waned throughout our marriage and I have found he inspires me everyday and is my no1 supporter. To relax as I mentioned, I spent a lot of time on the water growing up and take every opportunity I get to escape on the water, come rain, shine, snow whatever. I don’t remember ever not being around water.
Concluding words
Success to me is really seeing growth and freedom in others, and them seeing the fruits of their hard work. To see them grow in all aspects of their lives and to be a part of that journey. Also, to see them feel free to express themselves, churn out ideas, and constantly thinking about the next exciting projects we can bring forward to our ever growing customer base.
I’m also a firm believer in building well-oiled systems at the operational and human levels that can withstand the various seasons in business, and creating value for all stakeholders is important. Seeing people excel under my watch and being part of a business that will outlast me means a lot to me.
Retail is truly my passion, but the team is the engine we power forward with. The community I grew up with in Beachland, has transformed into a group of incredible people who inspire us everyday as we explore new frontiers in Retail. I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.
