Tesco has brought its chief operating officer in Turkey back to the UK as part of group chief executive Phil Clarke’s plans to bolster the lacklustre UK division.

Tony Hoggett, who had been running the Kipa chain in Turkey, has been appointed managing director of Tesco’s domestic superstores. Tesco operates 460 superstores - its standard-sized shop that is smaller than Extra hypermarkets.

David Woodfield, who previously held the role, is to retire.

Hoggett joins a list of overseas directors to be brought back to the UK to improve domestic business. Clarke said at Tesco’s interim results that the UK’s performance had been “below par”.

Earlier this month, Michael Fleming, former chief executive of Tesco Japan, took up a new UK role as group strategy director.

They join Bob Robbins, formerly chief executive of central and eastern Europe, and Per Bank, who ran Tesco’s Hungary arm, who took up places on the new UK board in January.

Ken Towle, former chief executive of Tesco China, also returned to become director of internet retailing in March.

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