Director goes in reshuffle at Mothercare

Mothercare’s marketing director Andy King has been made redundant following a review of the business by new chief executive Ben Gordon.

King, a former marketing and business development director at WH Smith, joined the troubled retailer in September 2001, and was given responsibility for international and direct operations in addition to marketing (MW 19 July, 2001).

Anna James, the divisional director of Mothercare Direct, will temporarily assume responsibility for marketing. She had previously reported into King, along with Jerry Cull, divisional director for international. Both will report into Gordon.

Head of advertising Tony Holdway, who was poached by King from WH Smith, will report to James.

One of Gordon’s first tasks on his arrival at Mothercare in December last year was to issue a profits warning – the retailer’s fourth in a year – in a trading statement that showed like-for-like sales at UK stores were down 1.1 per cent for the 13 weeks to January 10 compared with the same period in the previous year.The retailer recently embarked on a limited roll out of a new store design, following the trial of the new look at the Hammersmith store.

Industry experts believe that the retailer has problems in retaining the loyalty of customers once they have bought babycare essentials, as its clothing offer is considered to be outmoded.