Superdry PLC (LON:SDRY) has revealed that its chief product officer, Brigitte Danielmeyer has decided to leave the role for personal reasons and following a period of compassionate leave before Christmas.
Danielmeyer, formerly Tommy Hilfiger’s global head of womenswear, only joined the under-pressure fashion retailer in September last year at the same time as it launched a ‘fast-fashion’ range.
READ: Superdry shares plunge as it issues profit warning after 'warm weather' hurts trading
In a brief statement, the FTSE 250-listed firm said the search for Danielmeyer’s replacement is already underway and it will provide further updates in due course.
In December, Superdry saw its shares tumble after warning that it expects its full-year profits to slump, with the high street group blaming warm weather, consumer uncertainty and lack of innovation in some of its core clothing categories.
The retailer said sales remained under pressure during “unseasonably warm weather” in November and into December – two of its biggest trading months of the year – due to its reliance on winter clothing.
Superdry issued the profit warning as it reported results for the first half ended October 27, which showed underlying pre-tax profit fell 49% to £12.9mln due to the impact of a hot summer on demand and foreign exchange costs.
The group’s gross profit margin in the first half dropped by 70 basis points to 56.4% as the company discounted items in an attempt to spur demand.
Superdry is scheduled to deliver a third-quarter trading update on 7 February.
In afternoon trading, Superdry shares were up 2.9% at 517p helped by further evidence that Christmas on the high street has not been as brutal as the market was expecting.