Littlewoods axes Index sites in rebranding move

High street retailer Littlewoods is shutting 40 of its standalone Index catalogue retail sites and rebranding the remainder to incorporate the Littlewoods name over the next 18 months.

Staff from 35 of the standalone Index sites that are to be closed will be relocated to Littlewoods stores, and be rebranded Littlewoods eXtra. The new outlets will house a separate section for Index catalogue sales.

Five Index sites will be closed outright, while the remaining 58 will be rebranded Littlewoods Index.

The move coincided with the release of the company’s interim results on Tuesday showing sales down three per cent to &£862m and a trading loss of &£15.6m for the first half of the year to October 31.

Littlewoods appointed HHCL & Partners to handle a &£5m corporate branding account to promote its Internet, catalogue and high street sales earlier this year (MW February 17).

Littlewoods is believed to be the stronger household name of the company’s brands.

Retail Intelligence analyst Richard Perks says the integration of the Index brand under the Littlewoods umbrella brand makes a lot of sense.

Littlewoods last week announced the appointment of Phil Anderson to brand and marketing strategy director.

Anderson replaces Gillian Wilmot who has taken up the position of director for business and consumer markets at Royal Mail (MW December 7).