Coldwater’s Pence Retires; Walgreens Launches AARP Catalog; Conney Safety Sold
People On the Move
Coldwater Creek: Dennis Pence, who cofounded this multichannel women’s apparel cataloger 23 years ago, retired as CEO on Oct. 30. He’ll retain his role as chairman, however. President/COO Daniel Griesemer was promoted to president/CEO and will serve on the company’s board of directors. Griesemer joined Coldwater Creek six years ago.
dELiA*s: The multichannel teen/tween apparel company has named Chris DiChiaro as the divisional merchandise manager of its Alloy division. Prior to joining dELiA*s, DiChiaro spent seven years as the vice president of merch-andising of intimate apparel for Victoria’s Secret Direct. dELiA*s also announced the hiring of Lee Bissonnette as senior director of e-commerce. Bissonnette most recently served as the operating vice president of e-commerce and Internet strategy at Bloomingdale’s. Both hires joined the company on Sept. 10.
Acquisitions
Conney Safety Products: The workplace safety products supplier has been acquired by Caxton-Iseman Capital, a New York-based private-equity firm, for $48 million. Conney Safety’s product line includes work gloves that protect against cuts, heat, abrasions and other hazards; hard hats; ear protection; portable eye-wash stations; and respirators. The Madison, Wis.-based B-to-B cataloger had revenue of about $60 million in 2005 and $74 million last year.
Caswell-Massey: The Equitim Group, a Miami-based private equity firm, has bought this health and beauty products cataloger-retailer from BFMA Holdings, a Pompano Beach, Fla.-based investment firm. The Edison, N.J.-based Caswell-Massey offers soaps, lotions, fragrances and accessories.
Catalogers’ Updates
Walgreens: The drugstore retail chain announced the launch of a new catalog, AARP Health Essentials by Walgreens, to provide AARP’s 39 million members access to discounted health, beauty and wellness products. The new catalog and Web site offer a 5 percent discount exclusively for AARP members on more than 20,000 products.
Sierra Trading Post: The discount apparel, footwear and outdoor gear merchant has spun off a new home products title. The Sierra Home & Gift book mailed Sept. 24 to 300,000 customers. The 64-page, slim-jim catalog sells clearance products for the home.
Bombay Co.: The home furnishings cataloger-retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after unsuccessfully trying to find a buyer after three years of declining sales and mounting losses. The bankruptcy will not result in any immediate layoffs of its 3,600 employees in North America, including 215 at its Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters, or store or catalog closings, company officials said. The company will seek a buyer through a bankruptcy auction.
Legislative Affairs
The House Judiciary Committee in October passed H.R. 3678, the Internet Tax Freedom Amendment Act of 2007 in advance of the Internet Tax Moratorium’s Nov. 1 expiration date. The law extends the current Internet Tax Moratorium by another four years until 2011, rather than making it permanent.
Correction
In our October edition, Susan Bates was omitted inadvertently from the byline for the merchandising feature, “What Sells Where?” Bates co-wrote the article with Shari Altman. She is senior merchandising consultant at Susan Bates Consulting and can be reached at sbates@altmandedicateddirect.com.
