Arts and crafts retailer HobbyCraft has further bolstered its management team with the appointment of Staples’ UK & Ireland finance director Claire Blunt.

Blunt has joined the retailer in the newly created role of finance director. The retailer has previously only had a financial controller.

It is the second senior appointment for HobbyCraft in recent months. The retailer hired former Pets at Home trading and marketing director Catriona Marshall as its new chief executive in January. Former chief executive Chris Crombie stepped down from the business at the same time.

Blunt’s hiring strengthens the management team that will be overseeing large-scale operational change as it embarks on ambitious expansion plans under new owner Bridgepoint, which bought the business for more than £100m in April, as revealed by Retail Week.

The 51-store retailer, which appointed Superquinn’s Simon Burke as chairman in November, aims to quadruple its store count in the medium term.

Retail Week Knowledge Bank director Robert Clark said the appointments made by HobbyCraft are “part of its evolution into a serious grown-up retailer”. He added: “You need to have an experienced top team as the business grows.”