As part of a bid to further strengthen its own brand product proposition, struggling UK department store retailer Debenhams has named former Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer executive, Richard Jones, as trading director, global sourcing.
Due to join Debenhams on 5 February, Jones comes with a proven track record of buying and merchandising roles as well as sourcing and supply chain experience, having played a “significant” part in developing the Sainsbury’s TU clothing apparel business and brand. He has also held senior commercial and operational roles at Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Target, Australia.
As part of his new role, Jones will assume responsibility for leading Debenhams’ product development and sourcing team which includes overseas hubs in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
“Richard joins Debenhams with excellent knowledge and credentials in both sourcing and product development,” says Angela Morrison, Debenhams IT and supply chain director. “He will undoubtedly be a real asset as he leads Debenhams UK and international teams to improve our product offer as we continue to implement the Debenhams Redesigned strategy.”
Revealed in April, the Debenhams Redesigned strategy is aimed at making the retailer more digitally-driven and a “destination” shop. It will run alongside Debenhams’ ‘Fix the Basics’ plan, which is already underway to switch around 2,000 staff to customer-facing roles, replenish stock faster, and de-clutter the store environment, amongst other things.
Debenhams considers store closures under turnaround strategy
Jones’s appointment follows the recent arrival of Steven Cook as fashion and home director.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataDebenhams appoints fashion head amid restructuring
Last week, an analyst said “drastic changes” are still needed to generate shopper appeal at Debenhams, as the retailer warned it expects to miss full-year profit forecasts after a disappointing end of season sale.
Drastic change required at Debenhams amid FY profit warning
