eBay exec to head up Macy's brand

In a move that reflects the increased prominence of digital in traditional retail operations, Macy's has hired a senior eBay executive as president of its namesake brand.



Hal Lawton has been named president of Macy’s, effective Sept. 8, 2017. He will be responsible for all aspects of the Macy’s brand, including merchandising, marketing, stores, operations, technology, and consumer insights and analytics. Lawton will report to CEO Jeff Gennette, who previously held the role before becoming chief executive in March.



Lawton most recently served as senior VP, eBay North America, where he was responsible for all aspects of the company's Americas business unit and oversaw a period of sustained, sequential performance improvement. Prior to that, Lawton spent 10 years in various leadership roles at Home Depot, where he was most recently senior VP for merchandising.




Analyst Ray Young, of Gordon Haskett Research Advisors, commented that Lawton's background, particularly at the Home Depot and eBay, makes him one of the most interesting outside additions to the entire department store space — let alone Macy’s — over the past decade.



"Indeed, while Macy’s has yet to entertain acquiring digital native brands (ala the recent Wal-Mart playbook), one has to think that the addition of Mr. Lawton will bring a fresh perspective, one that is arguably long overdue,” Young said. "All told, while the move won’t impact sales or profitability overnight, we think the addition could mark the beginning of a new chapter for Macy’s."




At Home Depot, Lawton was responsible for jump-starting homedepot.com and building it into a nearly $2 billion business. Before Home Depot, he was an associate principal at McKinsey & Co.,



"Hal Lawton has deep expertise at the intersection of retail and technology, a diverse set of business experiences that give him a unique perspective, and a track record of successfully driving a change agenda at scale,” said Gennette. “This is a key step as we look to further transform the business and work through the volatility of today’s retail landscape. Macy’s already has one of the strongest omnichannel businesses in the industry, and with Hal on the team, we will accelerate the integration of digital both online and in our stores to deliver the world-class experience our customers demand.”