Experiences-driven retail concept business Future Stores has made a “stellar” appointment to its management team.

The company, which last month debuted its “must-visit” concept store on London’s Oxford Street, has hired global shopping expert Kate Hardcastle as non-executive director of Global Consumer Engagement operations.

Dubbed ‘The Customer Whisperer’, Hardcastle will leverage her 30-years of global retail experience “to drive innovation and growth for… launches both in London and around the world”.

And as a “renowned expert” in international shopping habits, she brings “unrivalled knowledge of both consumer behaviour and trends and retail data use”, it said.

Hardcastle joins founder and CEO Ariel Haroush and newly-appointed managing director for EMEA Engin Celikbas to spearhead its ambitions.

Haroush said her appointment “is a significant moment for Future Stores. Her knowledge of consumer behaviour, combined with her experience in driving business transformation, makes her an invaluable addition to our team.”

Hardcastle added: “The launch of Future Stores is to retail what the launch of the iPhone was to the telecoms market. It’s a pivotal moment which will change the way we buy and sell on the high street forever.”