Selfridges names Lane Crawford's Andrew Keith as new MD

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Nov 11, 2020

During one of the most challenging periods in its history, luxury UK department stores retailer Selfridges & Co has named Andrew Keith as its new Managing Director.

Keith had been President of Asia’s leading luxe department store, Lane Crawford, a post he held since 2011. While there, he led the business’s ongoing expansion into the key market of mainland China, “growing sales and nurturing talent to deliver an innovative and inspiring brand-and experience-driven offer for its customers across all channels”.

The MD of parent company Selfridges Group, Anne Pitcher, said he’s joining next February. She added that his “knowledge and experience in creating exciting physical and digital destinations and of successfully leading an 170-year-old business in a rapidly changing market” means the company can “look forward to exploring new opportunities under his leadership as we continue to reinvent retail”.

Keith himself spoke of Selfridges’ “inspiring and creative destinations that openly welcome everyone through its doors and online”. And he said the retailer’s “commitment to people and planet aligns to my own values”.

As mentioned, he’s joining at a hugely challenging time with this year having seen the international tourists that are so important to the company all but disappearing as lockdowns and travel bans weighed on visitor traffic.

But he also joins at a time when there’s a promise of things getting back to normal as early vaccine results promise some light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.