Kingfisher has created a chief customer officer role for McDonald’s executive Woreczek as the DIY group sets its transformation plan in motion.
Kingfisher is the latest retail businesses to add a customer-focused position to its senior team following various others including Asda, which drafted in Andy Murray earlier this month.
Pierre Woreczek, who will sit on Kingfisher’s operational board and report directly to chief executive Véronique Laury, joins the business as it drives forward its recently unveiled ‘One’ transformation plan.
Through the initiative the DIY retailer will invest £800m over the next five years to drive digital capabilities, optimise operational efficiency and create a unified and unique offer for shoppers.
“Kingfisher is undergoing huge reorganisational and cultural change, upgrading its core infrastructure to set itself up for an omnichannel world,” says Investec analyst Kate Calvert.
“It’s no surprise that this position has been created as it falls in line with the group’s strategic direction.”
Changing customers
A Kingfisher spokesman told Retail Week that Woreczek’s remit will include leading customer research and making the most of insights into branding and reputation across the retailer’s fascias including B&Q, Screwfix and Castorama.
He will also oversee the group’s communication and sustainability teams.
Because the job will be focused on listening to consumers and adapting the business accordingly, Woreczek will likely focus on developing the strategy for Kingfisher’s online proposition, which the group has neglected in recent years.
Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Freddie George says: “Woreczek has been brought into Kingfisher to make the best of a difficult situation.
“The retail group has stuck its head in the sand on the importance of online retail to the DIY market in recent years, so working out how to develop that proposition without cannibalising their stores will be a challenge.”
In an effort to reduce costs and increase investment in innovation, Kingfisher is developing a centralised product range that it will sell across all of its fascias.
Ensuring that its retail businesses appeal to an increasingly diverse customer base beyond the family homeowners, who previously made up the lion’s share of DIY purchases, will also be a vital part of Woreczek’s role.
Verdict retail analyst Matthew Walton says: “This appointment is important for Kingfisher as it aims to better serve a customer who may not have the same level of DIY knowledge as before.”
From fast food to retail
Woreczek will know a thing or two about appealing to a broad customer base, having joined Kingfisher from from fast-food giant McDonald’s.
Woreczek worked at the bugers business for 17 years, most recently as chief strategy, customer and digital officer for its European division.
In that post he was focused on digital transformation through McDonald’s use of customer data, as well as developing the McDonald’s Food Studio restaurant model alongside the business’ IT and operations teams.
Woreczek is the second senior management retail hire from McDonald’s in less than a year, following Jill McDonald’s appointment as Halfords chief executive last March.
What is the appeal of the fast-food emporium’s alumni to retailers?
“McDonald’s is a customer-facing business that knows its consumers very well while being very data-driven and service focused,” says Calvert.
“Service and customer insight are both becoming increasingly important for retailers, so you can see why they would go to a like-minded organisation that is further along in its own consumer model to develop their own businesses.”
Laury says Woreczek’s experience will make him “a great asset as Kingfisher becomes a much more customer-focused and purpose-led company”.
George observes: “Laury knows she has to accelerate Kingfisher’s development to remain relevant to shoppers, so adding this role is the right thing to do.”
When he’s not adapting strategies for consumer-facing businesses Woreczek likes to live la vie bohème– the French customer guru is a fan of the blues and enjoys strumming the guitar in his free time.
Laury will hope that Woreczek’s insights will be strike a chord with Kingfisher’s customers.
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