SCS CEO To Step Down

The chief executive of sofa, flooring and furniture retailer SCS is to leave the business in July.

Steve Carson has held the role of CEO at SCS since November 2020, during which time the business was taken from public to private ownership. On 31 January 2024, ScS Shares were cancelled from admission to trading on London Stock Exchange following the acquisition of ScS Group Plc by Cerezzola Limited, a newly incorporated wholly-owned subsidiary of Poltronesofà S.p.A., a leading Italian sofa and armchair manufacturer and retailer.

The acquisition - understood to have been in the region of £100m - was announced in October 2023 and was unanimously supported by the board of SCS. 

Alan Smith, then non-exec chair of SCS, said of the acquisition:

“The ScS Board believes Poltronesofà will bring significant benefits to ScS through its broad industry expertise in addition to providing the necessary capital that would accelerate our current strategy, albeit in a private rather than public sphere. The Acquisition will enable ScS to continue as part of a broader, pan-European entity in pursuit of its strategy and position it for long-term success in the UK”.

Prior to SCS, Mr Carson held the role of Group MD at Holland & Barrett, following several years in retail director roles at Home Retail Group and Homebase.

SCS operates around 100 stores in the UK as well as sofa-in-a-box etailer Snug.

Poltronesofà operates more than 150 stores in Italy, 106 stores in France and a couple of dozen more across the rest of continental Europe.

An SCS spokesperson told City AM: “Steve has decided that now is the right time to move on from ScS.

“He will depart knowing the group’s future is bright, having played a central role in bringing about considerable investment via a new ownership structure and enabling transformative progression with a rebranding exercise. 

“He leaves with a strong legacy and the thanks of the entire business and new ownership for his effort and drive in pursuit of a clear purpose to support customers in ‘helping create a home they love’."

Source : SCS, City AM

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