Country Road Group has revealed that its Chief Executive Officer, Raju Vuppalapati will depart at the conclusion of August 2025, after four years leading the Australian fashion retailer, with the company yet to designate a successor.
Vuppalapati, who joined the group in 2021, was integral to repositioning Country Road’s portfolio of brands – Trenery, Witchery, Mimco and Politix – and was responsible for the brand’s return to department store Myer. His leadership has been credited with instigating a wider transformation of the business.
Woolworths Holdings, the Johannesburg listed parent company of Country Road Group, acknowledged Vuppalapati’s contributions. “The business transformation under Raju’s leadership has been a significant strategic transformation that helped form the building blocks for new growth,” remarked group CEO Roy Bagattini.
As Vuppalapati reflected, he leaves “a refreshed culture and a path to reignite profitable growth,” explaining he was resigning to “pursue personal interests.”
Vuppalapati’s resignation follows Melanie Remai’s recent exit, who was the former head of Trenery, and took on the role of CEO at Cue Clothing.
The retail landscape in Australia continues to face intense pressure, and Woolworths Holdings blamed a retail recession, with shrinking GDP, rising inflation, and ever-climbing interest rates. Economic obstacles knocked down Country Road Group’s sales by 16 per cent in the first months of 2025. Online sales were a saving grace, growing to 27.1 per cent of total sales for the reporting period, compared with 26.8 per cent previously, according to the report.
