River Island Group merchandising director leaves company after 26 years

Paul Sprackling, group merchandising director of the British fashion chain River Island, departed the company after 26 years. He announced his departure via a post on LinkedIn. A group merchandising director is typically responsible for an action plan that physical and digital stores use to present their products, with the aim of attracting buyers and increasing customer satisfaction.

“It has been an amazing journey,” Sprackling wrote. “I started as an allocator and grew to become group merchandising director. River Island was more than just an employer to me; it felt like a second family. I am grateful for all the opportunities and proud of what I have achieved together with the team.”

In his post, Sprackling spoke about the people he had worked with. “I will never forget my colleagues in particular. From inspiring leaders to driven teams in product, retail and logistics, you have made this journey special.”

He also looked back with pride on his role as a manager: “There is nothing better than seeing people in my team develop. I know that I am leaving behind a strong team that is ready for the future.”

Sprackling's departure came at a difficult time for River Island. The chain is struggling with disappointing results and rising costs. In January 2025, the company reportedly enlisted the help of the advisory firm AlixPartners in an attempt to improve profitability and reduce costs.

In the financial year to October 2024, River Island suffered a loss of 32.2 million pounds before tax. That is a sharp decrease compared to the 7.5 million pounds profit a year earlier. Revenue also fell, by 15.1 percent to 701.5 million pounds. On top of that, there are planned tax increases in the UK, which could have consequences for the 250 stores that the company runs there.

Despite all the financial headwinds, River Island is continuing to invest in its digital strategy. In 2019, the company closed all its physical stores in the Benelux countries to focus on e-commerce. At the time, the retailer told FashionUnited: “Our online results continue to grow in the Benelux, but with high store costs, we are switching to an e-commerce-led model.”

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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