Foot Locker chief to run Lego retail venture

Lego has appointed former Foot Locker Europe chief executive Dominic Galvin to the newly created post of senior vice-president of brand retail.

As part of Lego’s global management team, Galvin will report directly to chief operating officer Poul Plougmann and chief executive Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. Lego created the role to oversee its increased focus on retail stores. Tomorrow (Thursday), the Danish toy company opens its first test store in the UK, in Milton Keynes. The first store opened in Cologne on October 1 and a further 19 – including the Milton Keynes store – are planned around the world over the next year.

The stores are an attempt by Lego to strengthen its worldwide profile. They will be uniform in appearance, sited in city centres or shopping malls.

Prior to joining Lego, Galvin headed was responsible for Foot Locker’s 335 European retail outlets. Before joining Foot Locker in February, he worked at Sears as managing director of Richards, its womenswear chain. He was responsible for scrapping the store’s marketing department in March 1999.