Dixons restructures – Freeserve goes it alone

Giant retailer Dixons this morning announced it is restructuring the group. Its successful Internet subsidiary, Freeserve, will be spun off as a separate unit. John Clare, chief executive of the group, said three strategic business units have been created, each with its own group managing director. At the same time, Clare said that he had formed two new companies under the plc wing: Freeserve and Dixons Group Retail Property. The reason for the restructuring, said Clare, was because the core retail brands faced broadening competition. "It's vital for our future that those core brands are best positioned to exploit opportunities before them and the group as a whole." Trevor Bish-Jones will become group managing director of Dixons, David Gilbert will head up the Currys division and David Hamid will head the superstore PC World group, with control of PC World Business Direct and PC Service too. Clare himself will look after the fast growing Freeserve division, and Mark Danby will act as general manager. ®