Luzio takes up Hut Group role

Gian Luzio, former head of games at Play.com, has joined The Hut Group as product director, with responsibility for strategic development at the company's online retail sites.

The Hut Group, which recently acquired the assets of the Zavvi brand in order to resurrect the retailer as an online-only store, also manages a number of other high street retailer site as part of a white label business.

"Gian is an industry heavyweight and is very well known in the gaming world," said Hut Group CEO Matthew Moulding of the appointment. "He has a huge amount of online retail experience that will be invaluable as we look to drive the growth of the company and challenge the major players in the entertainment retail sector. Gian will be invaluable as we look to strengthen our supplier and customer relationships as well as maximising operational efficiencies, brand awareness and product development."

And Luzio added: "I am delighted to have joined The Hut Group and I'm excited about the opportunities to share my expertise. The Hut Group has grown rapidly in the past six months and I am thrilled that I can be part of its future expansion. I look forward to working with an enthusiastic team to strategically enhance product offerings and optimise sales."

Luzio was with Play.com for seven years, overseeing the launch of the game sales business while there.