Sears Canada has appointed Steven Goldsmith as executive vice-president, merchandising, apparel and accessories, responsible for the style and trend direction across several departments including cosmetics, fragrances, jewellery and luggage.
Goldsmith has over two decades of retail merchandising experience having held senior positions at successful U.S. department store chains such as Lord & Taylor, The Bon-Ton and Filene’s.
Goldsmith has also worked in the online retail space, spending the last four years as executive vice-president of Limited Brands Direct, responsible for the marketing, merchandising and web support for its Victoria’s Secret Direct property.
Prior to his time with Limited Brands Direct, Goldsmith was responsible for apparel, footwear, jewellery, and accessories on the Amazon-owned Endless.com.
“Steven has a broad base of knowledge and proven capability in the apparel business, and I look forward to the contribution he will make at Sears,” said Calvin McDonald, president and chief executive officer, Sears Canada, in a release.
“The categories within Steven’s area of responsibility are important to the company’s profitability, and his experience in growing sales, building teams and developing strong relationships will enable us to uplift these businesses successfully as we move forward,” said McDonald.
For years, Sears Canada has been a back-of-the pack retailer, struggling to compete against bigger chains like the Gap and more specialized fashion chains like H&M and Zara. The department store chain, which has been criticized in the past for not putting money into merchandising or keeping the stores up to par, will soon face increased competition from U.S. discount retailer Target.
