Profile: Conviviality Retail's new managing director David Robinson

Robinson, Argos’ chief operating officer, joins at a critical time for the drinks specialist. Conviviality snapped up supplier Matthew Clark for £200m in October in a reverse takeover. Now it is focused on integrating the businesses.

Robinson is an experienced operator with a 20-year career in retail and will bring much expertise to the retail division amid the wider changes at the group following the Matthew Clark deal.

“He’s a safe pair of hands who can manage the retail side of the business and allow Diana [Hunter, chief executive of Conviviality] to focus on integrating and harnessing the synergies of the two businesses,” says one retail analyst.

“He’s a safe pair of hands who can manage the retail side of the business”

Retail analyst

Robinson is no stranger to business transformation. He was a key architect of Argos’ transformation plan, designed to turn an ailing catalogue retailer into a tech-focused, multichannel innovator again.

Although the Argos turnaround remains a work in progress, Robinson has helped improved its fortunes in a highly competitive market where online players and supermarkets have threatened to swipe market share.

Headhunter Clarity’s managing partner, Fran Minogue, who placed Robinson at Conviviality, points out that the convenience sector is just as cutthroat. The grocers are slashing alcohol prices as part of the price war so Robinson’s experience of fending off such threats should serve him well.

Trader mentality

A trader by nature, Robinson cut his teeth at electricals retailer Dixons, holding roles in its commercial and product marketing divisions before joining Homebase as trading manager.

In 2003, he moved to Argos as trading director for electricals, following Homebase’s acquisition by Argos’ then-owner GUS. Since then he has moved across the two Home Retail Group businesses, holding senior posts such as commercial director at both chains.

Robinson became a key ally of John Walden, who was appointed managing director of Argos in 2012. When Walden was named chief executive of Home Retail, he was quick to promote Robinson to chief operating officer of Argos in 2014.

The promotion handed Robinson responsibility for commercial strategy and day-to-day operations including retail, marketing, finance and HR. He also took a seat on the executive board.

“He’s a very strong leader. He’s a very straight guy and is great with people. He’s humble and approachable”

Fran Minogue, Clarity

Walden praised Robinson for leading “a substantial upgrade” in Argos’ trading function and said the strong performance of the business between 2012 and 2014 was “a reflection of his leadership”.

Minogue says: “He’s a very strong leader. He’s a very straight guy and is great with people. He’s humble and approachable. He gets people behind him without resorting to table-thumping.”

A new challenge in franchising

Robinson’s strong background in store-based retail would have been a big draw for Conviviality, one retail analyst observes. However, the franchise model is new to him.

Relationships with franchise partners are critical to success and can require a very different management style to traditional retail.

Minogue says Robinson has a very collaborative style, well-suited to the franchise model, and points out that he is very well regarded by suppliers for his open-minded, straight-talking style.

Robinson believes in partnership. Under his leadership, Argos has become more collaborative. It launched, for instance, a collection tie-up with eBay and is opening concessions in Sainsbury’s stores.

He told Retail Week Live last year: “What we have worked out over time is by combining our strengths with our partners’ strengths we can create something really good for customers and create a bit of value for both of us.”

That approach should strike a chord with Conviviality’s franchise partners, making them more likely to raise a glass to welcome him and toast to their continued success.