Grand to retire from Sears

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 7/3/2002 12:00:00 AM

Hoffman Estates, IL — Mark Grand, vp, gmm for bed, bath, window and mattresses and RTA furniture for Sears, will retire from the company, effective July 15.

Grand joined Sears in 1995 as divisional vp for all home fashions and was responsible for bed, bath, window, custom decorating, area rugs, broadloom, luggage and RTA furniture. He was in charge of the company's move into tabletop and housewares in the late 1990s.

He had previously been executive vp of Strouds, City of Industry, CA.

Earlier this year, Sears announced that it would exit the custom decorating and broadloom business, concluding it was incompatible with its strategy.

In March, in anticipation of the rollout of a major home accents/accessories, closet shop and expanded housewares program beginning this year, the home fashions merchandising duties were split.

Grand retained bed, bath, window and the rapidly expanding mattress business. Barbara Pizzella was named vp, gmm for area rugs, luggage and housewares and continues in those duties.

No successor has been named to Grand's post at this time.