Sears brings in a new merchandising leader

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings hired Ron Boire as EVP and chief merchandising officer. Boire, who previously was president and CEO of Brookstone, will lead merchandising and retail stores for both the Sears and Kmart brands.

He will work with our leadership team to better serve our customers and Shop Your Way Rewards Members by integrating their experiences across our stores, online, services, and mobile capabilities, the company said.

"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 Lou D'Ambrosio, Sears Holdings' chief executive officer and president. "By attracting someone with Ron's significant experience in retail, merchandising and product development as well as in leading companies through turnarounds, we're adding a key talent in accelerating our transformation."

The move comes shortly after Sears announced plans to close 100 to 120 Sears and Kmart stores. 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 served as president, U.S. Toys, North America for Toys "R" Us from 2006 to 2009, overseeing merchandising, marketing and operations for 600 stores in the U.S. and 70 in Canada. He joined Toys "R" Us after serving as the executive vice president, global merchandise manager for Best Buy, responsible for managing Best Buy's $30 billion U.S. Business Teams, global technology and vendor management, global sourcing and private label development. Before that, Mr. Boire served in a variety of increasingly senior roles during a 17-year career at Sony Electronics Inc., including president of Sony's Consumer Sales Company and president of Sony's Personal Mobile Products Company.