Maples marketing chief ousted after restructure

Furniture retailer Maples has lost its marketing director Chris Peddar, who has left the chain after a restructuring of top management.

He is being replaced by former Bain consultant Mark Jones, who has also worked in sales and marketing at Ford.

Managing director Graeme Winter says: “Two weeks ago we decided it was the right time for Chris to leave the business. We felt the way the business was developing, it was appropriate to bring in a new marketing director.”

Peddar was marketing director and also took responsibility for sales and buying.

Winter says Peddar’s departure was part of a plan designed “to develop the number of people on the board”.

He adds that the company is half way through a five-year programme towards a stock market flotation.

As part of its flotation plans, Maples hired advertising agency Butler Lutos Sutton Wilkinson in May this year, after a pitch with incumbent Guru Communications. It has a brief to develop an advertising campaign for the chain’s expansion into out-of-town sites.

The chain has 23 stores and plans to open a further five this year. Butler Lutos has developed a new campaign with the strapline: “Your interior, our designs.”