News

Target chief merchant stepping down

Mega retailer Target is striving to get back on track in the ever competitive marketplace and undergoing its second huge leadership change within the past year.

June 26, 2015

Mega retailer Target is striving to get back on track in the ever competitive marketplace and undergoing its second huge leadership change within the past year as its 30-year merchandising chief is leaving her role.

When initial news broke earlier this week regarding Kathryn Tesija leaving her role as chief merchant the Target explanation was subdued. Now just days later come reports of a rift between Tesija and newly minted CEO Brian Cornell who replaced Gregg Steinhafel in July, 2014.

Target is scrambling to regain its footing and stature among consumers following a massive data breach in December 2013, which impacted millions of customer records and data.

With Tesija, 52, departing the merchandising and supply chain chief job, the retailer now has the opportunity to hire a merchant leader who can “sharpen our focus on signature categories,” said Cornell in a Wall Street Journalreport.

Tesija, who worked for Target for 32 years, will officially leave her post as of July 6 and remain on as an adviser until next April, according to the WSJ. Just this past March Cornell was quotedin press reports stating Target had the “right team” in place “to focus on execution”

Earlier this month Target announced it was selling its in-store pharmacies to CVS Health for $1.9 billion.

Cornell, who joined Target in July, 2014, said the retailer is focused on signature categories including style, wellness, kids and baby.