Selfridges has poached Andrew Keith from department store rival Lane Crawford to be its new MD.
Keith will join the luxury retailer in February 2021, replacing Simon Forster, who resigned from the position in February after just a year at the helm.
Anne Pitcher, MD of the Selfridges Group, has taken on the role of leading its retail arm in the interim, and will continue to do so until Keith joins next year.
Keith will be responsible for Selfridges’ UK retail stores in Birmingham, Manchester and its Oxford Street, London flagship, plus its online business.
He has a wealth of experience in the fashion industry and will join from Hong Kong-based Lane Crawford, where he has been president since 2011. During his time as its boss, Keith oversaw its continued expansion into mainland China and focused on catering to customers across all channels. He worked his way up the business after joining its buying department in 2001, and became VP of merchandising followed by landing the president position three years later.
He also worked at clothing brand G2000 where he was design director for its menswear department.
“With Andrew’s knowledge and experience in creating exciting physical and digital destinations and of successfully leading a 170-year-old business in a rapidly changing market, we can look forward to exploring new opportunities under his leadership as we continue to reinvent retail,” said Pitcher.
Keith added: “I could not be more pleased to be joining Selfridges, with its inspiring and creative destinations that openly welcome everyone through its doors and online. Selfridges’ commitment to people and planet aligns to my own values and I look forward to partnering with the team to deliver exceptional destinations and experiences for our customers.”
His appointment follows Selfridges cutting around 450 roles (14% of its workforce) in July after reporting it expected annual sales to be “significantly less” than last year due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic, including a lack of tourism trade. Its store estate, aside from its Oxford Street store’s Food Hall, is also currently closed owing to the month-long lockdown in England, though it has still revealed its annual Christmas store window decorations.
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