Understanding the narrative behind statistics

Theo Paphitis - 2024

I have spoken many times on the subject of being careful not to view statistics as black and white, since the first Gender Pay Gap data was released in 2018 and we must continue to be aware that statistics are not always black and white. There is a danger in viewing them as such, and this continues to be no different as we see the new gender pay gap data has been released.

It should be recognised that this data set doesn’t represent age, ethnicity or equal pay.  The value of the Gender Pay Gap data is an undeniable force for good and we must all be careful not to fall into the trap of pointing fingers at businesses that are actually championing females in the workplace, for the sake of undiagnosed data and easy headlines.  

Boux Avenue, one of my businesses, remains an easy media or social media target, for those who do not look under the bonnet of the statistics at the makeup of that business, despite being 96% female/4% male and a leadership team that is equally split between males and females, with no pay weighting skewed towards male colleagues.

Boux Avenue is a business for females; for our colleagues and customers. 96% of our colleagues are female (and importantly, when viewing the statistics, 100% in stores due to the intimate nature of our products). The men that we employ have either been recruited into warehouse or head office positions - the majority of the latter fall into the upper quartile, tipping the statistics in a way that doesn’t fairly reflect Boux Avenue and its focus and empowerment of females.

Boux Avenue is a female-driven business; evident throughout the whole business.  2023’s figures are 46.2% mean and 7.2% median (under the ONS statistic provisional for retail), so again moving in the right direction within the boundaries of the full context.

We must understand why the statistics for Boux Avenue are different and challenge what lies underneath.  Ultimately, there are things we can change and we continue to ensure equal opportunities, but there are also things in a business that cannot be changed. At Boux Avenue we cannot change the very nature of our business. We won’t apologise for the fact we hire 96% females, and that 100% of our store colleagues are female, because we sell lingerie, swimwear and nightwear to mainly females.

Understanding the restrictions upon our data in this area is key and we have increased our focus on this from the boardroom to the shopfloor. Boux Avenue is all about female empowerment, leadership, recognition, development and equality - that females are as entitled to the leadership roles as males, on an equal footing.

So, I continue to insist that we have a reality check, before jumping on an easy social-media bandwagon, to ensure that the analysis is worthwhile, considered and appropriately based on the business context. In essence, don’t judge the Gender Pay Gap data book by its cover. There is always a narrative behind the facts and here at Boux Avenue, and at the Theo Paphitis Retail Group, we know that ours is ultimately a positive one.  

April 2024