Pets products retailer Petsmart has appointed its president and chief operating officer Bob Moran to the role of chief executive.

Moran replaces Phil Francis, who will remain chairman and relinquish day-to-day control of the retailer. Francis will take on the more advisory role of executive chairman.

Petsmart, which operates around 1,100 stores in the US and Canada, has cut its expansion programme from 100 a year to 50. Moran joined Petsmart in 1999. Before this he was president of Toys R Us in Canada.