Morleys, the small UK department stores chain, has announced a new CEO and another tweak to its top team.
Morleys
The company — which owns the Morleys stores, as well as Elys and Jollys — said this week that Allan Winstanley will be stepping down from his role as CEO at the end of this month, “following a successful tenure leading the business”.
In his place, it has named Ray Clacher to the top job, effective 5 January. It said he “brings extensive experience across the retail and fashion sectors”.
Most recently, he was chief commercial officer at BrandAlley and before this, he held senior leadership roles within the Li & Fung Group, including group managing director for Gieves & Hawkes, Kent & Curwen and Cerruti 1881.
Earlier in his career, he worked at UK retail businesses DH Evans and House of Fraser, “giving him a deep understanding of the UK department store landscape”.
Clacher said it’s an “exciting time” for the group with the reopening of its Jollys store in Bath planned for August 2026.
He added: “The business has a proud history and a strong position in the UK department store market, and I look forward to working with the team to build on this success and drive growth in the years ahead”.
The company’s chairman Bernard Dreesmann said that his “breadth of experience across premium fashion, commercial retail and department stores makes him exceptionally well placed to lead Morleys into its next chapter”.
Buying director Daren Gittins “has also decided to take a planned break from the business to pursue his passion for travel” as of the end of April 2026.
He’s spent 13 years with Morleys and “has played a pivotal role in shaping the department store group’s buying strategy”.
