Online retailer Cocosa has poached a top Asos executive to lead the business.

Private-sale specialist Cocosa, acquired by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed last month, has drafted in Asos’s commercial and merchandising director, Gwynn Milligan.

She replaces Cocosa managing director Linda Peters, who was only appointed in December 2010.

Milligan has been at Asos since 2004, and before that held various merchandising roles at Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia fashion empire.

Al Fayed bought Cocosa, which has also moved into lifestyle categories such as travel, on undisclosed terms from Bauer Media.

The etailer was launched in 2008 and has about 500,000 members. Following the £1.5bn sale of Harrods by Al Fayed last year, the tycoon is thought to be keen to create a new retail empire online.

No comment was available from Cocosa or Asos.