JCPenney Merges Units

By Carole Sloan -- Home Textiles Today, 3/24/2008 12:00:00 AM

Plano, Texas — —

Plano, Texas — JCPenney is combining its retail and direct (catalog and Internet) buying responsibilities effective April 7. The retail and direct segments of the business have had separate buying responsibilities until now.

At the same time, veteran merchandising executive Steve McKeever, senior buyer for bedding, has announced his retirement, effective mid-year 2008, in an e-mail to major JCPenney suppliers.

With the combining of responsibilities, Laura Williams will become the bedding buyer for the company's private brands: Chris Madden, Studio, American Living and the latest private label, Linden Street, which is set to debut later this year. Sonya Arthur will become the buyer for the JCPenney Home Collection, national brands, juvenile bedding, quilts and unbranded bedding.

Both report to Steve Jebbia, divisional merchandise manager for bed and bath.

Williams was senior buyer for towels and bath rugs for retail; Arthur previously was senior buyer for bedding for the direct division.

In other moves in the bed and bath division, Cindy Henderson will become towel buyer; Leslie Hearn will buy decorative pillows, throws and blankets; Tammy Phillips will buy pillows and mattress pads; Stacie Leigh will buy rugs; Stan Hase will buy sheets; and Stacy Arnold will be the associate buyer for shower curtains.

Henderson was retail buyer for decorative pillows, utility bedding, down, blankets and throws; Hearn was the direct buyer for those categories.

In the window division that reports to Greg Franko, divisional merchandise manager, Charlene Robnett will become curtain buyer, Susan Gregson will become drapery buyer, Debra Haire will become buyer of hardware and in-stock window shades, and Rod Franz will become buyer of made-to-measure and custom decorating. Alan Holland will become senior marketing specialist for the window division.