Brand director moves on after Virgin V Shops sale
Virgin V Shop brand director Brian Waring is leaving his post at the end of this month following the sale of the company’s Our Price stores to Australian retailer Brazin.
A spokesman for V Shop confirmed Waring was leaving his current role but would not say whether he was leaving the company, taking a different position within Virgin or joining Brazin.
Waring joined Virgin in 1995 as marketing manager for Virgin Megastores and Our Price and was promoted to head of marketing for Our Price three years later.
Last November he was promoted to brand director for V Shop, the new retail concept launched by Virgin in September 2000. He oversaw the rebranding of over 100 Our Price stores as V Shop outlets, selling a mix of music and technology products, including Virgin mobile phones.
The remaining 77 Our Price stores were sold to Brazin last month. They will be rebranded as Sanity, Australia’s largest music retailer, but will still sell Virgin mobile products.
Under the agreement, another Brazin chain in Australia, IN2 Music, will be rebranded as Virgin Music and expanded from 55 to 100 stores.
Last month V Shop appointed New Media Industries to its agency roster. The agency’s first work will be for the retailer’s pre-Christmas ads on television, press and radio.
