Booker in hunt for new chairman as sales hit record

Booker has begun the hunt for a new chairman as sales reached a record £4.75bn at the cash-and-carry wholesaler in the financial year just ended.

Booker said Richard Rose, who was chairman of Blueheath Holdings, which Booker reversed into in 2007, had served three terms of three years each, and would step down at Booker's annual meeting in July.

Charles Wilson, chief executive, said the move was in line with good corporate governance, and had been planned for some time, enabling Mr Rose to take on other responsibilities.

Mr Rose will become chairman of troubled professional services firm Quindell when the sale of most of its insurance business to Australian law firm Slater & Gordon completes. He is also chairman of online electricals retailer AO World.

Booker said it expected to announce its new chairman before the annual meeting.

"Richard has been a superb chairman," said Mr Wilson in a statement. "Booker Group has come a long way in the past few years and Richard has done a great job of building and chairing the board."

Booker also announced a restructuring of its catering divisions in order to develop what has become an important arm for the wholesaler.

Mark Aylwin, who runs Booker Direct, Chef Direct and Ritter Courivaud, will leave Booker later this year, after eight years with the group.

Mr Wilson said the new structure would help Booker serve contract catering customers, the operators of multiple accounts, such as forecourts and cafes, as well as its traditional pub and restaurant customers more effectively.

"It really takes the group to the next level," said Mr Wilson. "Mark has been incubating these businesses and now they have come into the wider group, and we can take them to full scale."

The comments came as Booker's sales rose to a record £4.75bn, including Makro, which it acquired three years ago, in the year to March 27.

In the 12 weeks to March 27, Booker's total sales, including Makro, rose 1 per cent, while Booker's sales from stores open at least a year rose 1.7 per cent.

Excluding tobacco, Booker's like-for-like sales rose 2.3 per cent in the three-month period.

Mr Wilson said this came despite significant price deflation in the market. Customers were responding to falling prices by buying more products, he said, with Booker's volumes rising 4.5 per cent in the quarter.

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