Breakfast briefing: Retail news on Lego, Asda and more

Lego appoints first British boss in board reshuffle

Lego has appointed British-born chief operations officer Bali Padda as chief executive of the company, replacing Jorgen Vig Knudstrop from January 1, The Telegraph reported.

As the company reshuffles its management, Jorgen Vig Knudstrop will become chairman of a new business, Lego Brand Group.

Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, whose grandfather created the Lego empire, while talking about Mr Padda said: "He has a deep knowledge of our entire company, a very clear sense of what we need to do to take the company to the next level, and he is a true ambassador for ... the Lego brand".

Mr Vig Knudstrop said: "I have enjoyed being the chief executive of this great company, because I have a lifelong passion for the LEGO Idea".

"The role and the job have changed very much over these years, and this is the natural next step, as I am a firm believer in the value of active family ownership."

Asda signs a deal with Scottish crisp maker

Asda has signed a £100,000 deal with Scottish crisp maker Mackie’s at Taypack to add a new collection of festive snacks, Scotsman reported.

The introduction of the new product comes from the deal signed earlier this year that introduced Mackie’s first extensive popcorn lines on Asda shelves.

Asda’s buying manager in Scotland Heather Turnbull said: "We’ve seen exceptional interest in Mackie’s popcorn range since launch and Mackie’s crisps have always been a favourite for customers across the country.

"Christmas is the time for families to come together and although we have lots of locally sourced Scottish products for the Christmas table on offer this year, both Mackie’s crisps and popcorn are the perfect addition to the festive fun."

Mackie’s Crisps commercial director James Taylor added: "We’ve seen an explosion of popularity within the popcorn market and we couldn’t have thought of a better time to unveil new additions to our family of Mackie’s products at Asda."

Quiz expands in the UK and Ireland

Quiz, a womenswear retailer, has opened 40 outlets in the UK and Ireland over the last year, with an additional site in Ayr marking the firm's 20th standalone store in Scotland, Scotsman reported.

The retailer has increased its international presence with more than 300 outlets across 20 countries and 75 standalone stores in the UK and Ireland.

Business development director Sheraz Ramzan said the expansion is part of an “ambitious rollout plan" in addition to continued refurbishments across existing sites.

"This growth has been driven by customer demand for glamorous looks at great value and our continued commitment to omni-channel expansion.”