Ralph Topping: William Hill’s “neglected” retail division needs serious investment from eventual buyer
In the second of a two-part special, Hills’ former CEO questions if Betfred can handle the operator’s full portfolio of shops and insists there is still life left in retail
EGR’sEGR Intel: Would Betfred make a suitable buyer for the UK business?Ralph Topping (RT):EGR Intel: Do you consider UK retail to be a serious opportunity?RT:EGR Intel: Did you ever imagine the business you joined on the shop floor as a teenager would end up being owned by a US casino giant?RT:EGR Intel: Will we see more consolidation of this sort over the next few years?RT:EGR Intel: A final word on William Hill? RT:here
“Believe me, there’s a lot of clever people that have good ideas for the development of the retail model, so it could be interesting”
“I worked with and for exceptional people throughout my career there, but I’ve watched a lot going wrong in the business over the last five years”