Garden Ridge Restructures Merchandising Group

Retailer Reports July Comp-Sales Increase

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 8/22/2005 12:00:00 AM

Houston —

Garden Ridge has restructured its merchandising group and store operations team.

Linda Troy, a 13-year Garden Ridge veteran, was promoted to vice president and general merchandising manager and will oversee the fashion forward, assortment-driven departments of Garden Ridge.

Hilton Railey, a 30-year retail veteran, was promoted to the newly formed position of vice president of new business development where he will oversee the creation of new merchandise opportunities and the expansion of close-outs.

Judy Collazo has joined the company as a divisional merchandising manager and will support new business development.

Collazo comes to Garden Ridge from Value City and is also a 30-year retail veteran.

Additionally, Rick Taylor, from the Dallas market, and Bill Sowder, from the Greensboro, N.C., market, have both been promoted from general manager to regional manager.

The company also reported a July comp-sales increase of 1 percent over last year.

For the fiscal year to date, comp sales are up 5.5 percent. The company cautioned that August sales would likely be flat as it transitions out of summer and into fall harvest collections.