Kohl's taps former Walmart exec as new chief merchant
In the latest shakeup to its C-suite, Kohl's Corp. has hired a new chief merchant.
The department retailer named Ryan M. Waymire as chief merchandising officer, effective Sept. 28. Waymire, who will report to CEO Michael J. Bender, replaces Nick Jones, who has been serving in the role since 2023.
Waymire has 25 years of experience at large retailers, including Walmart, Amazon and Target. Most recently, he was senior VP of fashion at Walmart U.S.
Prior to joining Walmart in 2022, Waymire was GM, brand president for Wayfair’s BirchLane brand, senior VP of merchandising and Brand Partnerships at FabFitFun, and managed apparel and brand partnerships at Amazon. Earlier in his career, Waymire spent nearly a decade at Target in progressive buying, sourcing and merchandising roles.
"He has a proven record of transforming merchandise strategies for a broad customer base and driving results by balancing fundamental merchandising excellence with innovation,” Kohl’s said in a statement.
Earlier this month, Kohl's reported that its net sales decreased 0.9% to $3.3 billion for the quarter ended Aug 1. The retailer also reported that its chief marketing officer, Christie Raymond, would be leaving the company in September. She has served as marketing chief since 2022.
As chief merchant, Waymire will be responsible for Kohl's overall merchandise strategy and all merchandising functions, including buying, omnichannel merchandising, product design and development, allocation and planning, sourcing, and product portfolio strategy.
"As we intentionally build our business for the future, Ryan will take the next step with our merchandising teams in modernizing our overall product offering — with customers at the center of all decisions," said Bender. "Ryan has deep experience in understanding how to refresh and drive a merchandise strategy for a broad U.S. customer base, and he has an innovative way of integrating meaningful collaborations and social media influencers into product stories. He will hit the ground running with our teams."
Bender also thanked Jones for his service.
"Nick has played a key leadership role in driving our merchandise strategy, curating our national and private brand portfolio, and improving processes in the way we work," he said. "I want to thank Nick for his leadership and contributions to Kohl's."
