Bensons for Beds appoints new CCO

Bensons for Beds has announced the appointment of Mark Slater as chief commercial officer (CCO), which will see him become part of the retailer’s executive team. 

Having joined the business in an interim capacity in February, Slater brings with him experience from the executive team of Howdens. Prior to that, he held a number of senior commercial roles at Travis Perkins, Currys and The Walt Disney Company. 

As the new CCO, Slater will be responsible for the business’ commercial, marketing, digital and services teams, alongside product innovation and new business development with a key focus on growing the brands’ sales and overall market share. 

Nick Collard, CEO of Bensons for Beds, said: “Following our return to profitability, this appointment is a critical role for Bensons as we begin to accelerate our work to create a more distinctive, compelling, and sector leading offer for our customers. 

“Mark’s commercial knowledge and experience of working in assisted sale, vertically integrated businesses will be a strong addition to our leadership team, and it’s a testament to the progress that Bensons has made in recent years that we have been able to attract someone of Mark’s background to be part of our journey.”

Slater added: “The turnaround that Nick and the team have done with the business thus far, in the midst of a highly volatile consumer market, has been extremely impressive. Bensons’ expertise and manufacturing capabilities present a huge opportunity for the business.  I’m delighted to be part of the team driving this forward.”

Last month, Bensons posted an EBITDA profit of £1.5m in the year ended 30 September 2023 – up from a £15.4m loss in 2022 – as sales jumped 7.5% to £257.5m due to the ongoing investments in its product offer and customer experience.

Bensons plans to open more than a dozen new stores in 2024 as it continues with its store expansion drive.