Carpetright boss departs amid profit warning

Carpetright has parted company with its chief executive after warning that profits for the current year will fall short of its expectations.

The group said Darren Shapland, a former group development director at Sainsbury’s who became chief executive of the UK’s largest carpet retailer in May 2012, was stepping down with immediate effect.

Carpetright’s founder and chairman, Lord Harris of Peckham, will return to his role of executive chairman, while trading director Graham Harris joins the board to become chief operating officer.

Harris said: “I am disappointed that Darren Shapland, who has made a significant contribution to Carpetright over the last 17 months, is leaving the business, but he does so with our thanks and we wish him well for the future.”

Shapland’s departure was announced as Carpetright said like-for-like sales in the UK had fallen 2.5 per cent during the 10 weeks to 29 September amid “volatile trading”, while like-for-like sales across Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands dropped 7.6 per cent.

Carpetright is due to report its annual results on 10 December and warned the figures “will be significantly below our previous expectations” because of the weak sales.