Claire’s has appointed Jillian Cueff as its new chief merchandising officer, tasking her with elevating product quality, style relevance, global partnerships and pricing discipline.
Cueff brings over 20 years of retail experience, including vice president of merchandising roles at Walmart and Macy’s.
Her appointment is the second C-suite addition at Claire’s in the past month following its September acquisition out of bankruptcy by private investment firm Ames Watson.
“Claire’s has tremendous brand equity, but sustainable growth requires disciplined execution behind the scenes,” Ames Watson Partner and co-founder Lawrence Berger said.
Related Story
He added that Cueff’s commercial instinct and operational rigor will be key to strengthening the business and restoring Claire’s authority in piercing and trends.
Cueff’s focus will be on transforming the merchandising strategy to regain market share while staying relevant to Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and millennial parents.
This complements the February hire of Michelle Goad, former chief digital officer of Athleta, as chief brand officer—the first C-suite addition since the acquisition.
Revamping merchandising, along with improving store operations and reinventing marketing, is central to Claire’s post-bankruptcy turnaround.
While operating a smaller footprint than before, the company continues to emphasize the importance of mall locations, which remain active for consumers after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
