Dive Brief:
- Claire’s continues to build out its new leadership team, naming Jillian Cueff as its chief merchandising officer, according to a Monday press release shared with Retail Dive.
- Cueff will be responsible for “elevating product quality and style relevance,” working on global partnerships, enacting pricing discipline and more, per the release.
- She brings over two decades of experience to Claire’s, having previously served in vice president of merchandising roles at both Walmart and Macy’s, according to her LinkedIn.
Dive Insight:
Cueff’s new role is the second C-suite appointment at Claire’s within the past month. The tween-focused retailer was acquired out of bankruptcy in September 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 in a statement. “Jillian brings commercial instinct and operational rigor, understanding how to build an assortment that wins with the customer while creating the structure and accountability necessary to drive performance at scale. Her leadership will be instrumental as we strengthen the foundation of the business and restore Claire’s position as the authority in piercing and trend.”
Tasked with transforming the retailer's merchandising strategy, Cueff will focus on regaining market share while remaining relevant to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, as well as millennial-aged parents.
In February, the company named the former chief digital officer of Athleta, Michelle Goad, as its chief brand officer. Goad’s appointment was the first new C-suite hire for the company since it had been acquired.
Revamping merchandising is a key priority at Claire’s post-bankruptcy, Berger told Retail Dive in an interview last year. It’s one of the company’s three main components — alongside revamping store operations and reinventing marketing — as it undergoes a turnaround effort.
Claire’s is operating with a smaller store footprint than it had pre-bankruptcy, though its new owners have stressed the importance of mall stores for the brand. Berger previously told Retail Dive that malls are undoubtedly an active part of people’s lives following the COVID-19 pandemic.
