Breakfast briefing: Retail news on M&S, Morrisons, Phones 4U and Poundland

Dunelm founder Bill Adderley increases stake holding in M&S above 3%

Marks & Spencer has disclosed that Bill Adderley, a founder of the Dunelm homewares retailer, has boosted his shareholding in the retailer above 3%, Bloomberg reported. The shares increased 2.1% to 503.5p. Adderley has been unmasked as the biggest private investor in the company. The stake is valued at about £247m at current prices. Adderley owns about 48.5 million M&S shares and has been an M&S shareholder for at least 18 months.

George Dymond to join Morrisons as operations director

Morrisons will strengthen its management team as it prepares for its online grocery service launch. The UK’s fourth-biggest supermarket chain has hired a senior manager from Australian retailer Coles to assist in running the online service. The retailer has hired George Dymond as operations director, who will join in the new year, The Financial Times reported. Dymond’s current role is group general manager of merchandise at Coles. Morrisons will launch online grocery in collaboration with Ocado by the end of January 2014.

He will be working with Morrison’s group logistics and supply chain director Neal Austin and managing director for food online Simon Thompson. Dymond is expected to oversee the day-to-day running of the online grocery service. Dymond is expected to spend the first few months being inducted into the business before taking up his new role fully in about April 2014.

Sainsbury’s store on Strand Road recruits 64 permanent and temporary staff

Sainsbury’s in Londonderry’s Strand Road is hiring 64 permanent and temporary staff to coincide with a multi-million pound upgrade to the outlet which encompasses a new online delivery service. The new jobs will take the total headcount there to 300, adding almost 1,000 extra hours of employment to the store, The Belfast Telegraph reported. The upgrade work will be completed by mid-November.

Phones 4U hires David Kassler as new chief executive

Phones 4U has hired David Kassler as its new chief executive, effective November 11. Kassler will take up the responsibilities that the group CEO Tim Whiting has been covering on an interim basis since May, Mobile News reported. Whiting will remain in his position. Kassler joins Phones 4U from EMI Music, where he was the chief executive.

Poundland shop in Ipswich slashes prices to 93p

A Poundland shop in Ipswich has lowered its prices to 93p in a move to undercut a special offer from a competitor 99p Store, The Telegraph reported. A member of deal website HotUKDeals spotted the price reduction. Poundland chief executive Jim McCarthy said it always aims to offer great quality products for amazing value to all its customers.