Dive Brief:
- Target has tapped former Walmart executive Jeff England as executive vice president and chief global supply chain and logistics officer for the retailer starting May 31, reporting to Target COO Lisa Roath, according to a news release Tuesday.
- England most recently served as chief supply chain officer for QXO, a distributor of roofing, lumber and other products. Before that, he held the same role with Genuine Parts Company. England also spent nearly two decades with Walmart in various roles, most recently serving as senior vice president of supply chain, according to his LinkedIn profile.
- With England's appointment, Target's current executive vice president and chief supply chain and logistics officer Gretchen McCarthy will shift into a strategic adviser role through August. "She set up our operations, capabilities and team to be ready for this next phase, and I'm grateful for her leadership," CEO Michael Fiddelke said in the release.
Dive Insight:
Target is counting on England to improve the customer shopping experience amid a broader turnaround plan, highlighting England's success in strengthening inventory availability at QXO.
Customers expect Target to "be in stock and ready for them every time they shop," according to Fiddelke. But the retailer has faced challenges with in-stock reliability, with Fiddelke noting in a November earnings call that the company has come up short the past several years in that respect.
"Elevating that guest experience is one of our top priorities, and Jeff's deep expertise across operations, engineering, technology and automation, along with a strong track record of leading operations of various sizes and complexities, is exactly what will be required to strengthen how we deliver for our guests," Fiddelke said in the release.
Target has launched a variety of new supply chain capabilities leading up to England's appointment. The retailer opened a $265 million Receive Center in Houston last month to boost its inventory holding capacity and network flexibility, one of several supply chain facilities established during McCarthy's tenure. The company is also expanding its next-day delivery reach from stores through its Shipt subsidiary.
"I'm confident in the company's growth plan and priorities, and I'm excited to get started with the team, building on its strong foundation to further strengthen the speed, reliability and precision of the supply chain," England said in the release.
