Senior BSC marketer to join Barclays

British Shoe Corporation marketing manager Chris Lukehurst is leaving this month to join Barclays Bank.

Lukehurst has been head of the corporation’s Hush Puppie brand for more than two years. He previously worked for BSC as head of advertising and promotions.

His appointment as Hush Puppie’s marketing manager was part of a reshuffle at BSC in 1994, when three divisional marketing heads were created for Hush Puppies, middle-market stores and Shoe Express.

Barclays Bank could not confirm what role Lukehurst will fill.

In the UK, Hush Puppies is one of the Sears group’s most successful brands. Chief executive Liam Strong last week announced plans to drop the Saxone and Curtess footwear ranges.

Unless a buyer is found, the 235 shoe shops in the Saxone and Curtess chains will close, leaving 3,400 employees without a job.

Sears also plans to stop selling shoes at its 390 branches of fashion chains, such as Top Shop and Principles.

Stephen Hinchliffe, owner of the Facia Group, which owns Sock Shop, Contessa and Red or Dead, has been in negotiations with Sears over a possible buy-up of one or both chains.

Facia bought Freeman Hardy Willis from Sears in August last year.