Board revamp at Whittard of Chelsea
Sales strong across year so far
Whittard of Chelsea non-executive chairman Will Hobhouse is stepping down from the board of the tea and coffee retailer.
Hobhouse, who joined Whittard as chief executive in 1988, masterminded the development of the store chain and the expansion of the brand in the UK and internationally. He is leaving to pursue other interests.
The company said: “Will has contributed very significantly to the growth and success of Whittard during his tenure as chief executive and then non executive chairman and on behalf of the management and shareholders we thank him and wish him well for the future.”
Richard Rose, previously chief executive, has been appointed executive chairman, with Mark Naughton-Rumbo, previously finance & commercial director, moving into the chief executive role, while also retaining overall responsibility for the finance function.
Former Uniliever executive John Bevington is also joining the Whittard board as an independent non-executive director.
Whittard, which had previously said that Christmas trading had been strong, with like for like sales for the eight weeks to January 25 up by 9.7 per cent, said that trading had continued to be positive.
Like-for-like sales during February were up by 11 per cent, increasing to 17 per cent for the six weeks beginning March 1, covering the Easter period.
The company said both footfall and average customer spend continue to rise in the UK, while the expansion of the brand in the USA has been boosted, with “a major national retailer” to list a Whittard gift range for Christmas 2004.
