28 March 2024, 23:03
By Furniture News May 05, 2022

New retail appointment as long-term Bensons MD steps down

Bensons for Beds has appointed Francesca (Frankie) Haynes to its senior leadership team.

Frankie will join the bed retailer on 9th May as its retail director. She joins from Costcutter, and has also worked for other leading retailers including ALDI, Asda and B&Q.

Frankie has significant experience of retail, customer services, human resources and engagement and culture, and will report to Nick Collard, Bensons’ chief commercial and digital officer, who is adding executive responsibility for retail.

After facilitating a smooth transition, Alan Williams, Bensons’ current MD for retail, will step down at the end of the September after 23 years with the business.

Bensons’ CEO Mark Jackson says: “Alan has been the pivotal person in building the business into what it is today – his understanding of the customer is nothing short of inspirational.

“But as much as I’ll miss Alan’s wise counsel and wish him all the best for the future, I’m looking forward to our next chapter as we continue our transformation.”

Nick Collard comments: “I feel very privileged to be taking over responsibility for retail from Alan as we start accelerating our omnichannel thinking and bringing it to life in the stores and online. Frankie’s extensive retail experience is going to be a tremendous asset to Bensons.”

In January, Bensons, which became a standalone company in 2020, reported a return to operating profitability on the back of strong sales growth driven by investment in its omnichannel strategy, including a new e-commerce platform, product innovation and accelerated store relocations and refurbishments.

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