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Shop Direct snags Gap's buying director

By FashionUnited

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Fashion

Shop Direct, the multi-brand retailer behind Very.co.uk and Littlewoods has tapped Zoe Matthews, European buying director for Gap, to serve in the newly created role of fashion director. The creation of the new position is said to be part of the group's ongoing scheme to restructure its senior

fashion and footwear divisions. According to the retailer, Shop Direct has decided to split its buying and merchandising team in order to develop a “more streamlined reporting”.

Zoe Matthews to oversee fashion at Shop Direct

Matthews is said to have been taken on to bring additional weight and gravitas to the restructuring of Shop Direct's buying and merchandising division. She will be in charge of womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, sportswear, footwear and accessories for all brands, including Littlewoods and Very. Matthews will also be reporting directly to the group's producer director, Matt Dixon.

“Since being promoted to the role of group product director last November, I’ve spent time with the teams restructuring our clothing and footwear department in line with the market,” commented Dixon. “This is an important step for us as we look to drive our fashion business forward and create clear career paths for our people.”

“Zoe’s arrival cements that new structure and will ensure that we have a consistency of approach across our clothing and footwear categories. Her fashion credentials are second to none and we’re looking forward to working with her to strengthen our product agenda as we develop into a world-class digital retailer.”

Matthews joins the team at Shop Direct on 15 July, leaving her current role at Gap. Prior to joining the American fashion company, Matthews was senior head of buying and design at White Stuff and head of buying at House of Fraser. She has also held senior buying roles at John Lewis and Marks & Spencer.

“Shop Direct's clothing and footwear business is in a great position, thanks to its experienced team, strong focus on stock and efficiency and deep understanding of its customer base,” commented Matthews. “There's a huge opportunity now to really develop and curate its product range, particularly in own brand fashion. I'm excited to get into the business and start working with the team.”

Pauline Lauder, Shop Direct's fashion and footwear trading director has also been given a new role as group merchandising director, where she will over see all merchandising teams.

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