Sears hires former Brookstone chief executive to lead merchandising

New York City -- Sears Holdings Corp. hired Ron Boire, the former president and chief executive of Brookstone Inc. to lead its merchandising and retail stores for both the Sears and Kmart brands. Prior to Brookstone, Boire served as president, U.S. Toys, North America for Toys “R” Us from 2006 to 2009, where he was in charge of merchandising, marketing and operations



"We are in the midst of a transformation of our business, from top to bottom...," Sears CEO Lou D'Ambrosio said in a statement on Tuesday.



The appointment comes one week after Sears posted disappointing holiday sales results and decided to close as many as 120 stores.



"I understand the company's challenges, but I am more persuaded by the company's opportunities and strengths," Boire said about his new assignment at Sears.



Boire also worked as a global merchandise manager for Best Buy, and in an array of senior roles at Sony Electronics Inc.