Oak Furnitureland has announced the appointment of Mike Coupe as its new chair.

Coupe left Sainbury’s last year after six years at the helm where he was responsible for devising its takeover of the Home Retail Group, including Habitat and Argos.

His 35-year career in retail has also included roles at Tesco, Iceland and Asda.

Coupe joined Oak Furnitureland on January 4.

The furniture business, which specialises in solid hardwood pieces, operates 75 stores in the UK employing 1,100 people.

It was saved from collapse with a pre-pack administration deal in June 2020.

Chief executive Alex Fisher said of the appointment: “Mike has invaluable experience working at the very top level of the retail sector and he will play a key role as we implement our growth plans over the next few years. It’s great to have him on board.”

Coupe added: “I’m very excited to be joining Oak Furnitureland at a pivotal time for the business and I look forward to working with Alex and the management team to realise the business’ ambitions in 2021 and beyond.”