The head of German department store Karstadt has resigned her post after just six months in the job.

Eva-Lotta Sjostedt joined the retailer, one of Germany’s best known names, from Ikea in February.

Chief financial officer Miguel Muellenbach and human resources boss Kai-Uwe Weitz will head the firm, which is known to be loss making although, as it is under private ownership, its current financial figures are not known.

When she joined the group she said urgent action was needed to turn the company around. "We have no time to lose. We have to act. Karstadt is not profitable at the moment and that must change quickly," she told Reuters at the time.