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Safeway has named former brand marketer Roger Ramsden as marketing

director, after its top marketer Roger Partington stormed out of the

company last Friday.

The resignation of Partington, Safeway’s customer development director

and board-level marketer, followed the company’s decision to appoint

former Wal-Mart retailer Carlos Criado-Perez, to the new position of

chief operating officer.

Partington, 43, is understood to have felt aggrieved by the appointment,

which gives Criado-Perez overall responsibility for marketing, trading,

logistics and retail operations and also puts him in line as a likely

successor to chief executive Colin Smith.

Partington had been regarded by the City as the heir apparent. Had he

stayed, he would have reported to Criado-Perez.

Analysts believe that the appointment of Criado-Perez, the chief

operating officer of Wal-Mart International before leaving four months

ago, is a pre-emptive move by Safeway to dent the arrival of Wal-Mart in

the UK, as well as to revive its sales and shares.

Chairman David Webster fears the Wal-Mart/Asda deal could further hit

like-for-like sales, which were already down 0.3% in Q1.

Partington joined Safeway in 1994 from Nestle Rowntree, where he was

marketing director for five years. While at the supermarket group, he

was responsible for the repositioning of marketing to focus on families,

introducing the highly regarded ’talking toddlers’ advertising

concept.

He is understood to have had no other job to go to and a Safeway

spokeswoman confirmed he will receive a financial settlement.

Ramsden, 39, reports to Criado-Perez in his new role but takes over all

of Partington’s responsibilities including Safeway’s pounds 22m ad

budget.