Retail appointments of the week
Lea Rytz Goldman named global brand president, Tommy Hilfiger
By Irene Dong
PVH Corp has named Lea Rytz Goldman as the global brand president of Tommy Hilfiger, succeeding Martijn Hagman.
Rytz Goldman will join the company in the spring of 2024 and report to PVH CEO Stefan Larsson. The appointment is a critical milestone in the company’s execution of the PVH+ Plan, which aims to make Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger the most “desirable lifestyle brands”.
“Tommy Hilfiger is one of the most iconic and beloved brands in the world and under Lea’s leadership, vision and drive, we will be well positioned to supercharge the global growth of the Tommy Hilfiger brand, which is a key part of the PVH+ Plan, our multi-year growth plan,” said Larsson.
Rytz Goldman is currently the MD of Cos. Before joining Cos, she oversaw the rebranding and expansion of Arket as part of her 10-year term as a brand leader with the H&M Group.
Rytz Goldman also has more than 20 years of brand leadership expertise from various European brand groups, where she delivered enhanced brand appeal and sustainable, profitable growth in a variety of important leadership roles.
Martijn Hagman will continue to lead as CEO of PVH Europe with the appointment of Rytz Goldman, as the firm focuses on delivering long-term, profitable growth in the region. Hagman will also continue to head the Tommy Hilfiger worldwide company until Rytz Goldman starts next year.
Sussan co-founder Marc Besen dies
By Kaycee Enerva
Marc Besen, the co-founder of clothing retail group Sussan, has died at the age of 99.
Born in 1923, he was a Holocaust survivor who fled Europe in World War II and arrived in Australia in 1947.
Together with his wife Eva and brother-in-law John Glandel, Besen began his entrepreneurial journey by taking over two lingerie shops established by Eva’s parents in 1939.
Over the years, these two shops evolved into the Sussan clothing retail group, which included popular brands like Sportsgirl, Sussan, and Suzanne Grae.
In 2003, he transferred control of the business to his daughter, Naomi Milgrom.
As the country’s second-oldest Rich Lister, the majority of Mr Besen’s wealth came from the sale of his Highpoint Shopping Centre in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
He sold a half-share to GPT for $621 million in 2006, then a further 25 per cent, also to GPT, for $680 million in 2017.
During an interview with BRW Magazine in 1994, Besen outlined his keys to success in the women’s fashion industry.
“To be successful in the fashion business, you must know who your customer is and what she wants,” he said.
“If you can put yourself in the customer’s shoes and offer her a product at or below the price point she expects to pay, she will respond.”
Birkenstock names Tiffany Wu new Greater China MD
By Celene Ignacio
Birkenstock has named Tiffany Wu as MD for Greater China, effective November 1 to lead the footwear company’s expansion in the region.
The Germany-headquartered brand emphasised that Greater China, which includes mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, has the largest untapped white space potential for the company.
“Greater China is the strongest growth driver for us in the APMA region alongside India and Japan. Unlike many other brands, we haven’t faced consumer headwinds in the last months, quite the opposite,” said Oliver Reichert, Birkenstock Group CEO.
Reichert added that the company expects the trend to continue on the back of the positive development of its own digital channels in China this year.
“With the additional capacity that we can allocate since the go-live of our new plant in Pasewalk in September, we now have the bandwidth to satisfy Chinese consumers’ appetite for our products,” said Reichert.
Reichert noted that Wu, co-founder of leather designer brand Heirloom, has more than 18 years of premium fashion and luxury end-to-end omnichannel expertise in China.
“We are now ready to take the next step in our growth journey. It’s the perfect moment for Tiffany Wu to join the team,” said the CEO.
Wu reports to Birkenstock Group’s chief sales officer Klaus Baumann.
H&M names new ANZ country manager alongside revamped store
By Celene Ignacio
Fashion retailer H&M has launched its refurbished flagship store at Pitt Street in Sydney, coinciding with the appointment of Anna Baldwin as the new country sales manager for Australia and New Zealand.
“We’re set to enhance the customer journey, infusing the latest trends, and showcasing our fashion offering in an engaging and impactful way,” said Baldwin, who previously served as country sales manager of H&M West Coast US.
“The enhancements to the Pitt Street store allow us to reach the fashion enthusiast but also supports our goal to inspire all customers right from our window displays down to the product presentation, aligning with H&M’s overarching purpose of offering fashion and quality at the best price, in a sustainable way.”
Online retailer Beyond Inc’s chief steps down amid activist investor pressure
By Juby Babu of Reuters
Internet retailer Beyond Inc, formerly known as Overstock.com, on Monday said its chief excecutive, Jonathan Johnson, has stepped down amid activist investor pressure.
Hedge fund JAT Capital, which owns a 9.6% stake in Beyond Inc, last week urged the board to replace CEO Johnson, arguing that he is to blame for the company’s poor financial performance.
In the interim, Johnson will be replaced by Dave Nielsen, who has been Beyond’s president since 2019, while the search for a permanent CEO has begun, the company added.
In a letter to the company dated Nov. 2, John Thaler, who runs JAT, proposed that businessman and television personality Marcus Lemonis, who joined Beyond’s board last month, should become CEO.
JAT Capital did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the change.
Overstock.com rebranded its website under the Bed Bath & Beyond name after it acquired intellectual property from the bankrupt company in June.
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