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HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings Corp. has tapped former Brookstone Inc. head Ron Boire to serve as its executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. Boire will also serve as president of the company’s Sears and Kmart chains.
Sears Holdings Corp. has tapped former Brookstone Inc. head Ron Boire to serve as its executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. Boire will also serve as president of the company’s Sears and Kmart chains.
Boire comes to Sears from Brookstone, a speciality retailer that sells mainly gifts and consumer electronics through its more than 300 stores. Boire was president and chief executive officer of Brookstone.
In his new position at Sears Holdings, Boire will be responsible for merchandising and retail stores for both the Sears and Kmart brands. According to the company, his mission will be to lead in the development of an effective multichannel retailing strategy that serves customers in a consistent and effective way, whether they are shopping in stores, via the Internet or with their mobile devices.
"We are in the midst of a transformation of our business, from top to bottom, as we seek to become the leading integrated retailer in the country," said Sears Holdings’ president and chief executive officer Lou D’Ambrosio. "By attracting someone with Ron’s significant experience in retail, merchandising and product development — as well as in leading companies through turnarounds — we are adding a key talent in accelerating our transformation."
Boire says he is excited to be joining Sears.
"I understand the company’s challenges, but I am more persuaded by the company’s opportunities and strengths," he says. "As a company with more than $40 billion in sales, millions of customers, irreplaceable brands, thousands of stores and committed associates, we have a lot to work with to improve our business and delight our customers. It is also important to have a board of directors and shareholders who are truly long-term oriented and who have made such a significant financial commitment in working to transform this iconic company."
D’Ambrosio added, "We have made some difficult decisions recently and will make the hard choices necessary to turn our business around going forward. At the same time, we will continue to invest to better serve our customers by delivering world-class, integrated experiences across our stores, our online sites, our services and our mobile capabilities. And we will continue to invest in our people, ensuring that we have the talent and skills necessary to effect this transformation."
Prior to Brookstone, Boire was president of U.S. Toys, North America, for Toys ‘R’ Us Inc. from 2006 to 2009, where he was responsible for merchandising, marketing and operations for 600 stores in the United States and 70 in Canada. Before that he was executive vice president and global merchandise manager at Best Buy Co., with responsibility for managing that retailer’s $30 billion U.S. Business Teams, global technology and vendor management, global sourcing, and private label development.
Boire also spent 17 years at Sony Electronics Inc., where he held a number of senior positions, including serving as president of Sony’s consumer sales company and as president of its personal mobile products company.
