Freemans appoints former Debenhams Trading Director as CMO

Digital department store Freemans has appointed Susie Calvert as Chief Merchandising Officer (CMO), replacing Linda Quinn, who retired in autumn 2023.

Calvert brings over 30 years of retail experience in various roles, including over 10 years as Trading Director at Debenhams – up until January 2021, and she was Chief Operating Officer at Jasper Conran for two years up until March 2023.

Most recently, up until December 2023, she was the Commercial Development Director at PDS Radius Brands, which delivers global brand management services for brands and retailers covering design, licensing and sourcing across the fashion and home sectors.

She was also appointed to the Board of Directors at Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) in 2020.

Freemans CEO, Ann Steer, said: "Susie’s enviable experience over the last 30 years will ensure that our product offering continues to evolve and differentiates Freemans from the wider market.

"It’s something that is central to the continued momentum we are delivering in terms of growth as we continue on our journey to be the digital department store of choice."

In recent years Freemans has been "on a journey of aggressive digital transformation". In September 2023, the retailer announced that it would be dropping its very familiar catalogue after 118 years as more customers shopped online.

The announcement coincided with a new look and feel across all channels called ‘Made You Look’. The shift delivered a 23% surge in visits to the Freemans website over Christmas.

This week Freemans reported a "strong" performance over the Christmas trading period, with sales up 5% in the eight weeks to 31 December 2023.