Senior management changes at QD Stores

Farrington Smith is leaving the 52-store value chain to take on a senior role within the global logistics market.

“QD is a wonderful company with some great people and I’ve loved my time working here,” says Farrington Smith. “However, I have been made an offer with tremendous prospects I felt I should take with a rising star in the containerisation sector.

“I advised the Board of my intention in June of last year and announced the same to all my colleagues last week at our managers’ conference following several key posts being filled.”

Since joining the board of QD from Safeway in 2006, Justin Farrington Smith presided over the near doubling in number of the group’s stores; the development and introduction of house brands; and the launch this March (2014) of a transactional online facility spanning all of QD’s product lines.

Commensurate with his departure, former operations controller at Morrisons, David Haycox joins the QD board as operations director, reporting to group chief executive Nick Rubins.

James Collins and Karl Ottolangui have been promoted to associate directors responsible for trading and logistics respectively.

Norwich-based QD Group is an independently-owned chain of value retail outlets extending from its geographical heartland in the East of England and Home Counties to Doncaster in the north and Wrexham in the west.
 
The Group comprises retail brands QD Stores, Cherry Lane Garden Centres, Lathams and Thingmebobs.