Halfords loses top marketer and chief executive following job cull

Halfords marketing and merchandising director David Clayton-Smith and chief executive Rod Scribbins are leaving the company, which is in the throes of a jobs cull.

At the beginning of April, Marketing Week revealed that bicycle and car-accessory retailer Halfords was to cut up to 40 marketing jobs, as well as a further 50 job losses at the head office, following the arrival last month of former Homebase chief executive Rob Templeman as chairman (MW April 3).

It is not known whether Clayton-Smith’s departure is part of the restructure or whether he has a job to go to. Clayton-Smith joined the company in 2001 from Halfords’ then parent company Boots, where he had been director of customer marketing.

A company spokesman would not be drawn on the reason behind Clayton-Smith’s departure, but confirms that Scribbins will be taking early retirement.

It is not known whether Clayton-Smith and Scribbins will be replaced.

Templeman is restructuring Halfords in an effort to meet new tough targets set by CVC Capital Partners, which bought the company last year from Boots. He is being helped by his deputy chairman, former Homebase commercial director Chris Woodhouse.