N Brown’s hire of The Original Factory Shop boss Angela Spindler as its new chief executive was a surprise to some who were expecting the home shopping group to opt for an online veteran.

N Brown’s hire of The Original Factory Shop boss Angela Spindler as its new chief executive was a surprise to some who were expecting the home shopping group to opt for an online veteran.

Spindler, who only launched online with The Original Factory Shop in 2011 and was part of a digitally lethargic Debenhams team back in 2008, is by no means that.

However, she is not daunted about the task ahead, nor should she be.

Etail is not some unknown offshoot of retail that needs its own pool of talent. It is, after all, still retail and bricks-and-mortar experience is extremely valid.

Spindler knows how to run big fashion businesses, leading both Debs and George at Asda, which was a £2bn goliath when she left the grocer. This will put her in good stead to run N Brown, which turned over £750m last year.

She is also a marketer by trade which is vitally important in the world of online, where celebrity tie-ups and savvy marketing campaigns are critical to win new customers.

Spindler is the latest retailer with a wealth of bricks-and-mortar experience to veer into the world of online, joining the likes of Kate Bostock who left M&S for Asos late last year. She will certainly not be the last big wig to venture into retail’s growth channel.

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