Former Asda man named as chief of Original Factory Shop

The Original Factory Shop, which positions itself in the value retail sector, said it is confident Mr Page, who joins from online cycling and tri-sports business wiggle, will “successfully accelerate the company’s ambitious growth plans”.

The Original Factory Shop grew out of Peter Black Holdings, one of the biggest suppliers to Marks & Spencer. Its first shop was in Keighley, next to the original Peter Black factory, and was simply called the Factory Shop, selling footwear, luggage and bags originally destined for M&S.

Today, the retailer has more than 180 stores, including outlets in Garforth in Leeds, Ripon, Ilkley, York, Normanton, Otley, Ossett and Bridlington.

Mr Page, who held the position of interim commercial director at wiggle, has a focus “to develop and embed the commercial strategy both domestically and globally”, said the Original Factory Shop. Mr Page spent a significant period of his career at Walmart-owned Asda, which is headquartered in Leeds. He worked in the business from 1994 to 2006 in a variety of senior positions culminating in becoming non-food trading director, where he was responsible for all of Asda’s non-food business.

Other recent roles have also included managing director of Lloyds Pharmacy and commercial director at hypermarket chain Lenta. Prior to that, he was commercial and marketing director for Woolworths.

David Williams, chairman of The Original Factory Shop, said: “Tony has extensive and relevant experience within UK retail and we are confident he will successfully accelerate the company’s ambitious growth plans as we continue to invest in new convenience department stores, serving many small communities across the UK.

“On behalf of the board, I would like also to thank Angela Spindler for her hard work and significant contribution to the busi- ness.

“During her tenure, Angela led the company’s successful expansion programme, establishing its robust financial position and developing an excellent platform for future growth.”

As announced in January, Ms Spindler will remain as an investor with The Original Factory Shop.