Eason, the Irish books and stationery retailer, has named the group’s former head of marketing Brendan Corbett as the new head of its Dubray Books division.
Mr Corbett, a member of Eason’s management team for the past decade, will replace outgoing Dubray general manager Maria Dickenson, who is leaving the group at the end of the year, Eason said in a statement on Thursday.
Ms Dickenson is leaving the business “having decided to devote more time [to] her family before plotting out the next chapter in her career”, a spokesman said in a statement.
A former Musgrave and BWG Foods marketing manager, Mr Corbett has been head of marketing at Eason since 2014. He played a “key role” in the development of the group’s retail and customer experience strategy over the past decade, a spokesman said, and has been a member of the Irish Book Awards board since 2014.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Corbett said he has been a long-time admirer of the Dubray Books brand, which Eason acquired in 2020 for an undisclosed sum.
“I am really looking forward to working with their outstanding management team and brilliant booksellers to build on this fantastic legacy,” he said.
“Brendan’s knowledge and experience and passion for books and great customer service will be invaluable to realise the ambitious and exciting plans we have for Dubray in the future,” said Eason chief executive Liam Hanly.
Thanking Ms Dickenson for contribution to the Dubray brand, Mr Hanly said she had “successfully led the growth and development of the business”.
Eason recently informed shareholders of its plan to pay a €4 million dividend from its profits for the current trading year, which runs to the end of January 2025, while also releasing €10 million via a share buyback scheme.
Eason’s online business had a strong year, with turnover up 13 per cent to €17.7 million and its Ebitda almost doubling to €1.6 million, according to accounts filed recently for Eason Retail plc. Dubray’s turnover rose by 13 per cent to €15.9 million, including a €4.3 million contribution from new stores.
The Eason group now operates 43 stores, of which 15 are Dubray bookshops.
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