Halfords chief executive David Wild resigns as sales fall Halfords chairman Dennis Millard, who will lead the company during the search for a new chief executive, said: "Halfords is a strong business with a clear strategy. After careful deliberation, it is felt that now is the right time for a change of leadership in the group to enable it to implement that strategy. Mr Wild's resignation came as Halfords reported a fall in like-for-like sales fell of 5.6pc in the 13 weeks to June 29. A strong performance at its autocentres unit was not enought to offset poor sales of bikes and outdoor leisure goods, where same-store sales fell 7.5pc due to the recent wet weather. The "uncertain trading environment" meant like-for-like sales could remain negative for the rest of the year, the company warned, though it stressed that it was still early in the financial year. Full-year pre-tax profit is expected to range between £62m and £70m, Halfords said. Despite the poor trading figures, shares jumped by 11pc on Thursday morning, and analysts at Seymour Pierce raised Halfords to "buy" from "hold."