Dunelm chairman and former Travis Perkins chief executive Geoff Cooper has been appointed chairman of specialist retailer Card Factory, which is expected to float.
Cooper, who left Wickes-owner Travis Perkins last year, will join Card Factory ahead of a possible IPO later this year and bring the retailer enhanced City credibility.
Card Factory chief executive Richard Hayes said: “He has a very strong track record of leadership in the retail sector and Card Factory will benefit enormously from this broad experience as we enter our next phase of growth.”
Card factory, which has 700 stores, would join a long list of retail IPO candidates including Pets at Home, Poundland and House of Fraser.
Convenience group McColl’s and domestic appliances etailer Ao.com have already pressed the button on flotations.
Cooper spent almost 10 years at Travis Perkins and is a non-executive director of media group Informa.
Card Factory is controlled by private equity house Charterhouse. An IPO is also expected to further reward founders Dean and Janet Hoyle, who made £350m from selling the retailer to Charterhouse.
Card Factory’s value positioning and business model are admired in retail. However some observers question whether the greetings card market will decline as consumers increasingly shift from traditional to digital media.
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