Highlights

  • Group CEO and Managing Director Elle Roseby has resigned, with her notice period expected to end in March 2027.
  • The board will begin a process to appoint a successor.
  • Rachel Taylor will become Executive General Manager Adairs from 5 October 2026.
  • Matt Edmonds' role is expanding to Group Chief Financial Officer and Operations Director.
  • Focus on Furniture sales fell 19.5 per cent over the first quarter of FY27.

Adairs Limited (ASX:ADH) describes itself as Australia's largest omnichannel specialty retailer of home furnishings and home decoration products. On 29 September 2026, the company announced the resignation of its Group Chief Executive, alongside changes to its senior Leadership team and a short trading update covering the Adairs, Mocka and Focus on Furniture businesses.

Chief Executive Resignation

Group CEO and Managing Director Elle Roseby has given notice of her resignation. She intends to serve a notice period that is expected to conclude in March 2027, with her final day to be agreed as the transition progresses. The board said it will shortly begin the process of appointing a successor and will update the market in due course.

Chair Trent Peterson said Ms Roseby had led an important transformation of the group, developed the leadership team and reinforced the foundations of each business, adding that the board was appreciative of her leadership.

Changes to the Executive Team

Rachel Taylor will join the leadership group as Executive General Manager Adairs from 5 October 2026. Reporting to the Group CEO, she will be responsible for the day-to-day leadership and performance of the Adairs brand.

Group CFO Matt Edmonds will become Group Chief Financial Officer and Operations Director. In addition to finance, his remit will cover Supply chain, property, risk management and technology.

Trading Across the Three Businesses

For the Adairs brand, management says year-to-date sales are in line with the trend reported in the FY26 results, and work on the Vision 2030 strategy is continuing. A new enterprise resource planning platform, Project Compass, reached its go-live milestone on 16 September 2026.

The company described trading at Mocka favourably. Its two standalone stores are operating as expected, and a third is expected to open at Mornington in Victoria by the third quarter of FY27.

Focus on Furniture sales fell 27.6 per cent over the first eight weeks of FY27, with the decline narrowing to 2.7 per cent across weeks nine to thirteen. For the full 13-week first quarter, sales were down 19.5 per cent. The company says it is testing promotional approaches as trading stabilises. No dollar sales figures were provided.

Outlook Commentary and Open Questions

Management expects the first half of FY27 to remain challenging and says progress is not expected to be linear. This is company commentary rather than formal guidance, and the announcement does not quantify profit expectations.

The board has not disclosed how the search will be conducted, whether internal candidates will be considered or when an appointment is expected.

Key Insights

The announcement combines a leadership transition with a broader reallocation of executive responsibilities, giving the group a defined structure for the period before a new chief executive is appointed. The trading update shows differing conditions across the portfolio, with Focus on Furniture recording lower first-quarter sales while the Adairs Brand and Mocka continue their stated plans.