Entertainment group Zavvi is poised to hand back power to store managers as it sets out its plans to run the 125-store chain as an independent retailer.

Zavvi, formerly Virgin Megastores, will run each shop independently and based on its location. Zavvi marketing and e-commerce director Steve Kincaid said: “We are still a national retailer, but will have a greater local influence. Store managers understand the products in their locality and we intend to involve them more.”

An Entertainment Retailers Association spokesman said: “It is a smart positioning – edgy, but not corporate, like Virgin was at the beginning,” he said.

Zavvi unveiled its logo this week and aims to rebrand all its stores by mid-November. Kincaid said: “It’s an intense process, but the best time to do it – we have the highest footfall during this period. For the Christmas period, the fascias will be different, but there will be no radical changes internally.”

Kincaid said the group has no plans to close any stores and, when asked how he planned to reverse the£50 million loss Virgin Megastores suffered last year, he said: “The past is the past. We are confident going forward.”

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