Littlewoods appoints two directors

Littlewoods has appointed two top-level retail marketers as part of plans to become “the most admired consumer business in the UK”, according to the company.

The Liverpool-based business, which runs 115 stores plus the Index, Index Extra, and Littlewoods catalogue brands, has brought in Gillian Wilmot as direct catalogues director and Phil Anderson as world class marketing director.

The latter position is described by Littlewoods as a supervisory role, which will overhaul marketing activities of its retail division, created last month from the company’s separate retail businesses. A spokeswoman says: “Anderson will make sure our marketing structure is right for an integrated retail division.”

Anderson joins the company next Monday after leaving his position as head of marketing at chocolate retail chain Thornton’s last week. Wilmot, who was marketing director for Next Directory when it launched in 1988, will take responsibility for Littlewoods’ aim of surpassing the Next Directory as number one clothing catalogue with its Index Extra brand.

Index Extra, which is marketed in Index high street outlets, is forecast to achieve 280m sales this year. Next Directory, which last year achieved sales of 269.4m, this week reported sales 5.5 per cent up for the first 15 weeks of this year.

Wilmot was previously vice-president of marketing at door-to-door cosmetics firm Avon and prior to that, head of marketing at Freemans catalogues.