UK-based retailer Marks & Spencer has announced two new hires for its clothing and home leadership team – including a former Next and River Island executive who will lead the repositioning of its newly-acquired Jaeger brand.
Fiona Lambert joins the retailer later this month as managing director of Jaeger (M&S), which will operate as a separate independent business within M&S. She has vast experience in defining and transforming brands, including the launch of George at Asda, and the creation of its Home brand from scratch.
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M&S bought the Jaeger brand out of administration for an undisclosed sum last month. As part of wider plans to boost its online growth, it intends to sell complementary third party brands, and has already acquired Nobody’s Child and the Early Learning Centre, and partnered with the Ghost fashion brand.
Meanwhile, M&S has also named Anna Braithwaite as director of clothing and home marketing.
Both appointments will play an important role in its Never the Same Again programme, under which M&S is committed to adapting its clothing and home product offer to reflect accelerated customer trends.
The company said in January its clothing and home sales tumbled 25.1% in the 13 weeks to 26 December, hit by continuing restrictions and demand distortions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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By GlobalDataWhile analysts noted the segment was dealt a sharp blow against the backdrop of zig-zag lockdown policies, one suggested brighter days are on the horizon for M&S.
