Specialty home décor retailer names Michael’s exec as COO

Kirkland's has named its very first COO.



The home décor retailer named Mike Cairnes as executive VP and COO, effective November 28, 2016.



Cairnes brings 25 years of experience in home décor retailing and manufacturing to Kirkland's. He was most recently with Michael's Stores, where he served concurrently as president of its Aaron's Brothers retail business, since 2015, and president of its Artistree framing business, since 2007.



At Kirkland’s, Cairnes will be responsible for day-to-day operations, overseeing marketing/e-commerce, merchandising, planning & allocation, store and supply chain operations.



Prior to Michael's, Cairnes held senior leadership positions at Brushstrokes, a publisher of art canvases, and Larson-Juhl, a manufacturer of home décor products.



In addition, Sarah Hussey recently joined Kirkland's as VP of planning and allocation. Prior to joining Kirkland's in the third quarter of 2016, she worked in similar roles at Sports Authority, since 2000, and held merchandising roles at both Macy's and Hess's Department Stores.



"These additions are an important step in our ongoing efforts to better position Kirkland's to achieve our long-term growth objectives," said Mike Madden, president and CEO. "While the industry faces challenges, we believe we have a differentiated concept with a unique opportunity to grow sales and profit as we improve our operational execution, expand our branding efforts and omnichannel experience, and focus on new ways to better serve our customers.”



Kirkland's currently operates 404 stores in 36 states.