WH Smith promotions under Swann scrutiny

WH Smith is re-assessing its promotions strategy as part of an internal business review being carried out by new chief executive Kate Swann. The review could incorporate the structure of the marketing department and its agency arrangements.

The move follows poor Christmas trading figures for the retailer, which reported flat like-for-like sales for its UK retail division for the 17 weeks to December 27, last Friday.

Swann has admitted that customers entering the store over the Christmas period were confused by a variety of different promotions, some of which operated across categories. She also said that the stores’ layout made it hard for consumers to locate traditional WH Smith products.

Swann is embarking on a review of the business that should be completed by April and could result in a number of redundancies from head office.

She has already axed Beverley Hodson, managing director of UK Retail, and is understood to be planning to recruit her own senior management team, a move that casts doubt on the futures of brand director Muriel Stirling and brand communications director Katie Spriggs.

It is expected that WH Smith will also call a review of its &£7m advertising and media accounts held respectively by Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO and Starcom Motive.

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