Card Factory has appointed former Britvic chief executive Paul Moody as its new chairman as the retailer continues to cautiously navigate difficult trading conditions.
In February Geoff Cooper, who has acted as Card Factory’s chairman since 2014, announced he would be leaving the retailer due to personal health reasons.
Moody will join the company later this week, following an near 20-year stint at the soft drinks specialist which owns brands including Robinsons and J2O.
During his tenure at Britvic Moody held various role, including eight as chief executive. He is credited with leading the company through an IPO and developing a commercial franchise partnership with PepsiCo, which allows it to exclusively make, distribute and market its brands including Pepsi and 7UP.
“Geoff has made a significant contribution to the group, having overseen the significant development seen since IPO in 2014, and I would like to thank him on behalf of the whole business for his contribution, leadership and understand his wish to concentrate on fewer commitments,” Card Factory chief executive Karen Hubbard said.
Paul Moody added: “I’m very excited to be joining Card Factory at this stage in its evolution. It is a company with an enviable market leading position, a unique business model and is presented with a number of opportunities to build further value under its current strategy and beyond.”
Last month the greeting card chain said underlying pre-tax profit fell 14 per cent to £22.7 million in the six months to July 31.
Like for like sales dropped 0.2 per cent amid a “difficult consumer backdrop” for the business, although total sales were up 3.2 per cent to £185.3 million for the period, thanks to a record Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
