Matalan trading chief to lead Sainsbury’s clothing

Matalan’s former chief trading officer Ben Smith, who departed in January, is set to take on a new role within Sainsbury’s clothing division.

Smith is expected to replace Christine Kasoulis, who has been leading the supermarket’s clothing, home, and furniture business unit for nearly three years, Drapers reported.

Kasoulis’s exit follows a 2.2% increase in sales for Sainsbury’s Tu Clothing brand during the 16 weeks to 4 January 2025. Overall, the supermarket chain, which operates more than 1,400 stores across the UK, reported a 3.7% year-on-year sales rise.

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At the start of the year, Sainsbury’s launched plans to cut 3,000 jobs as it shuts its remaining cafés, patisserie, and pizza counters. The company also stated that senior management roles across the business would be affected.

Smith, who joined Matalan in March 2023 as interim buying and merchandising director and was appointed chief trading Officer two months later, has previously held roles as trading director at Pep&Co and Primark.

Last week, Sarah Welsh, the former CEO of N Brown, was appointed as chief product, brand, and commercial officer at Matalan.

She is tasked with ensuring products “always meet customers’ desire for great quality and value”, help it grow market share, and appeal to a broader audience.

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