Primark appoints Matalan’s top exec

Value chain Primark has appointed Matalan’s buying director,

John Lyttle, to the post of chief operating officer in a strategic move to build on the chain’s expansion plans.  

Lyttle will be responsible for buying and sourcing across both the UK and international divisions. His appointment comes after the appointment of former Gap exec Katherine Kirk as Ethical Sourcing Director and Marks & Spencer director Julian Kilmartin as Buying and Merchandising Director.

Primark – which is owned by Associated British Foods, has stores in the UK, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Ireland, where it trades as Penneys – recently announced a 15 per cent rise in sales for the 16 weeks to 19 June, while its like-for-like sales are reported to have increased by 7 per cent in the same period.

A spokesperson for the discount clothing chain said: "This appointment reiterates Primark's commitment to invest in order to ensure the continued success of the Penneys and Primark brands and to support future expansion plans."