New Ecommerce Veep Hired at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Home Textiles Today Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 6/25/2012 2:00:00 AM

NEW YORK - Michael Robinson has joined MSLO as vp of ecommerce to expand the company's web selling operation, including the branded Martha Stewart site being built in conjunction with JCPenney.
     Robinson was most recently head of ecommerce for Europe and the UK at Anthropologie, where he built and managed that brand's website and catalog businesses. Prior to that, he was a retail consultant and held managerial positions at Smith & Hawken and Banana Republic.
     He reports to Lisa Gersh, coo.
     "Michael brings a great background from several innovative, successful lifestyle retail brands, as well as an understanding of the markets we're targeting and the best ways to attract those consumers to an e-commerce environment," said Gersh.
     At one time, Omnimedia had a catalog and ecommerce operation offering upscale Stewart-branded merchandise - a counterpoint to its $1.5 billion Everyday Living brand at Kmart. However, in 2003 it began to scale back the direct-toconsumer segment and ultimately exited the business.
     The company will re-enter ecommerce through a joint venture with JCPenney in 2013, which will also mark the debut of Martha Stewart shop-in-shops anchoring the retailer's remodeled home department.