Robert Mettler was the “Softer Side of Sears.”
His department store roots gave Sears, Roebuck and Co. credibility with apparel-makers who were leery of selling their brands to the maker of Die-Hard batteries and Craftsman tools. And his creation of private-label brands such as Canyon River Blues put Sears back in the game with moderate apparel giant J.C. Penney Co.
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Then-Chief Executive Arthur Martinez was so pleased with his efforts that Mettler was named head merchant of softlines and hardlines in late 1996.
But when Sears’ turnaround stalled in 1999, and the Sears board demanded a change, someone had to go. Mettler was it. Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances of his exit, it didn’t take Mettler long to find another job. Three months later, he was hired as president of Macy’s West, the fastest-growing division of Federated Department Stores.
Now, it looks like Sears did Mettler a big favor. He was named CEO of Macy’s West this week, effective June 1, succeeding Jeremiah Sullivan.
Given the slump in the department store sector, the promotion puts Mettler, 61, even more squarely on the hot seat.
What should department stores do to get customers shopping again? They have to be differentiated, Mettler says. They have to be relevant.
“Customers want to be able to get in and out and feel good about the money they spent,” Mettler says.
Few retail executives would disagree, but not many department stores are different, compelling or fun these days. Macy’s West may be one of the exceptions.
The chain has done a good job of attracting kids and teenagers, something some said was a losing game because the young set doesn’t want to shop with their parents.
Macy’s has flouted the conventional wisdom by bringing disc jockeys into its juniors department on the weekends. Some of the deejays are kids. Boys and girls can play foosball there, too. The area feels different than the rest of the store. Macy’s opened up the ceiling and brought in funky fixtures.
On the adult apparel side, Macy’s West is having great success with fashion brands such as Hugo Boss and Gianni Versace for men and Eileen Fisher and DKNY for women, upscale lines that aren’t found everywhere. It can’t keep Seven Jeans, a current cult brand, in stock. At about $150 a pair, that’s quite an accomplishment.
The business that isn’t performing well: moderately priced mainstream lines that can be found everywhere–usually marked down 20 percent to 30 percent.
Although he can’t get rid of all of them, Mettler is thinning their ranks.
“If we don’t compete effectively, that’s not a good use of our assets,” he says. “Price is never a differentiator.”
Even though their businesses are very different, Mettler and Sears CEO Alan Lacy agree on one thing: There are too many private label apparel lines out there that don’t mean anything to customers.
Sears has announced it is scrapping eight of its low name-recognition brands–some of them created during Mettler’s reign–and introducing a new one this fall called Covington.
The key to success will be both a sustained marketing push and an ongoing effort to keep Covington fresh, Mettler says. The process could take 10 years, he adds.
“It’s going to be difficult but maybe they can pull it off,” Mettler says.
Birthday party: It’s one of those small Chicago chains you don’t hear much about, except when you’re remodeling your bathroom or kitchen. Century Supply Co. is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. From its original store at 3005 N. Austin Ave., Century has expanded into a chain of 10 tile stores.
To celebrate, Century is holding a chainwide sale May 22-27, and offering customers interest-free financing for a year.
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