Joe Browns appoints ex-JD Sports COO as CEO

Yorkshire-based fashion and homeware retailer Joe Browns has confirmed the appointment of Peter Alecock as CEO, effectively immediately.

Alecock joins the company from JD Sports, where he held the role of Chief Operating Officer of its fashion division since September 2019, having worked for the company for 16 years in various roles.

He will have responsibility for expanding the business via its own direct channels and its strategic partners, in both the UK and overseas.

Simon Brown, Joe Browns Founder and current Managing Director, will become more heavily involved with the product and brand which are his passions. Brown recently featured in TheIndustry.fashion's In Conversation Podcast, where he discussed the company's growth plans of reaching £100 million annually by 2026.

The company also announced that it was already nearly halfway towards this target with turnover to 30 June at £47.5 million. This was aided by strong sales up to and through the Christmas period and a well-received Spring/Summer 2022 collection.

The strong sales have been delivered through a combination of online retail, catalogue orders, marketplaces, royalty agreements and wholesale as well as retail units in Meadowhall and York.

The board board now comprises of Simon Brown - Founder, Darren Abbott - Finance Director, Alison Rycroft - Merchandise Director, Tracey Hepton - Marketing Director, Jane Reik - Buying and Design Director and Peter Alecock, CEO.

Peter Alecock, CEO of Joe Browns, said: “Joe Browns is an amazing business, with a remarkable founder in Simon, whose passion and enthusiasm percolates throughout the whole of the business. The brand is currently delivering fantastic growth but there is an exciting opportunity to build its customer base even further. I look forward to working with the talented team at Joe Browns and helping take them on that journey.”

Simon Brown, Founder of Joe Browns, added: “I am delighted to welcome Peter on board at Joe Browns at what is probably the most exciting time for the company in 24 years. He brings with him an enviable breadth of experience, that compliments what I think is the strongest leadership team we have ever had. Honestly, I think the opportunity to grow Joe Browns both at home and overseas is huge and we are ruling nothing out when it comes to achieving this.”

Joe Browns was founded 24 years ago with the intention of “making a few quid and having some fun”, as well as helping customers to feel remarkable in the clothes they wear.  Headquartered in Leeds, it employs 167 people and serves 1.4 million customers annually. Its third-party retailers include Next, Very Group, N Brown Group and Freemans.