Miss Selfridge brand boss makes a move
Retail big-hitters Philip Green and Mohamed Al Fayed have both lost key directors.

Miss Selfridge brand director Sim Scavazza will leave Green's Arcadia empire by October. Her departure follows a raft of recent high-level departures from the group. The challenging consumer environment has hit the performance of some of the Arcadia chains such as Miss Selfridge.

Green said: 'This is a great opportunity for someone to join our stable and head an iconic 40-year-old brand.' He added that Elaine McFarlane, who is buying director for Oasis's joint venture in China, will join Miss Selfridge as buying director in July.

Scavazza, who became brand director in February 2003, retargeted the brand at a more sophisticated customer and produced its first solo fashion show.

Other recent departures at Arcadia have included buying chiefs from Burton and Dorothy Perkins, as well as the group's property and IT directors.

Separately, Mohamed Al Fayed's creative director Susanne Tide-Frater has left after less than two years at Harrods. She won fame for revamping Selfridges' Oxford Street store and was lured to Harrods to carry out a comparable makeover.

Her departure last week follows the March launch of upmarket convenience shop Harrods 102, which she helped to develop. Located near popular lunch destinations Eat and Prêt À Manger, the store faces tough competition.

Harrods rejected speculation that Tide-Frater had not seen eye to eye with some members of the management. She said: 'I'm sorry to be leaving, but the time has come for me to concentrate on my family life.'

Retail's revolving doors have spun all week with more top retail execs coming and going.

  • Former Kingfisher chief exec Sir Geoff Mulcahy is to become chairman at the BRC, replacing House of Fraser chairman Michael Wemms.

  • Next chairman David Jones retired after 20 years, having rescued the chain from collapse in the 1990s.

  • Wilkinson managing director Gordon Brown plans to retire as soon as a replacement is found. Headhunter Whitehead Mann is searching for a replacement.

  • The Pier founder and managing director Alison Richards has left, following its US$15 million (£7.9 million) buy-out by Danish tycoon Jakup Jacobsen last month. Richards has no immediate plans, but will remain a non-executive director of Beales and a trustee of Unicef, for which The Pier raised more than£1 million during her tenure.

  • Wickes managing director Richard Bird is standing down. Bird contested rumours he is being ousted by parent company Travis Perkins because of Wickes' poor performance and said: 'I indicated at the time of the acquisition that I wished to stand down in early 2007.'

  • Hamleys group buying and merchandising director Sue Porritt departed suddenly last week from the Baugur-owned toy store, following the sale of its Bear Factory division to Build-a-Bear.

  • Former Selfridges chief executive Peter Williams was named chief executive at Alpha Airports.

  • Jessops chief executive Derek Hine has retired this week after 36 years in retail. Former Jessops chief operating officer Chris Langley took the helm as chief executive on Wednesday.