New retail boss hired for Habitat
HABITAT has hired Gary Waldron – a former executive at Fat Face – as its retail director.
The furniture and homeware chain is in the middle of a huge shake-up.
The restructuring specialist Hilco bought Habitat in December from its former owner, ICAF, in a deal that involved writing off debts.
Under the agreement there was also a capital injection of £45m into the company. In June, Habitat hired Phil Wrigley, the former chairman of the fashion retailer New Look.
Meanwhile the company has seen Mark Saunders, its former chief executive, and Rob Lane, the former head of its UK retail division, leave the firm.
Hilco is also close to unveiling a new chief executive at Habitat, according to industry insiders.
The furniture chain, which has 72 shops in Europe, was hit by a loss of £42m last year.
But Hilco has vowed that it will break even in the year to 31 May 2011.
Terence Conran founded the company in London in 1964, opening his own store to market his Summa pine range of furniture. Habitat listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1981.