Strouds consolidates full line, outlet buying staffs

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 10/16/2002 2:30:00 PM

City of Industry, CA — Strouds continued to streamline its organization, announcing that it has eliminated three merchandising and 11 administrative positions this week. In addition, Norm Goldman, head of the outlet division, has gone on medical disability leave. Anne Fahey, vp, full-line merchandising, will take on his responsibilities and retain her current duties.

"We've combined our full-line and outlet buying staffs," said Rob Valone, president. "This will allow the merchants to focus on one category of business — from opening and opportunistic buys up to better goods."

The buying team now consists of Kathleen Haselbush, fashion bedding; Tracie Hudson, independent bedding (non-coordinate bedding, blankets, quilts and such) and solid sheets; Tony Taylor, bath; Jay Dawson, utility bedding and table linens; and Jennifer Nygren, hard and soft decorative accessories, such as throws, decorative pillows and wall art.

"It's a lot more cohesive," said Fahey, noting that some products, such as pillow protectors, were sold in both formats and yet were categorized differently. But now "it will be much cleaner."

The company will also create more synergy between the two formats by sending discontinued full-line merchandise to the outlets, which will be about a quarter of the outlet's offerings, Valone said. Another quarter of the outlets' merchandise will be reorders and basic business, while the remaining half will be opportunistic buys and closeouts. Previously, about 3 percent of merchandise overlapped both formats.