Cover Story: The Top Women in Cross-Channel Retailing

Denise Incandela, executive vice president and president of Saks Direct, 
Saks Fifth Avenue
Denise Incandela is executive vice president and president of Saks Fifth Avenue's direct business, which includes both Saks.com and Fashionfix, Saks Fifth Avenue's off-price flash-sale site. Incandela is responsible for guiding Saks Direct's long-term strategy and overseeing day-to-day operations. This includes merchandising, marketing, creative, operations, IT, fulfillment and customer service for both businesses. Incandela also serves on Saks Fifth Avenue's executive committee. Prior to her role as president of Saks Direct, Incandela was senior vice president of business development, CRM and Saks Direct. She joined Saks Fifth Avenue in 1999 to launch Saks.com, and since then has aggressively grown Saks Direct to be a destination for high-end online fashion.
* Tip: When you take a customer-centric approach in determining your company's priorities, cross-channel success becomes critical. For Saks Fifth Avenue, that means sharing inventory across channels, mining our customer database with one view and ensuring our marketing is integrated.

Susan Gregg Koger, chief creative officer 
and co-founder, ModCloth
Susan Gregg Koger is the chief creative officer and co-founder of ModCloth, an online retailer of independent designer fashion and decor. Koger started ModCloth when she was just 17, taking her love of thrifting to start an online business. Koger operated ModCloth out of dorm rooms and basements for four years, and after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in 2006, she and husband/co-founder Eric Koger made the decision to expand and sell vintage-inspired clothing from talented indie designers around the world. ModCloth has grown from its humble beginnings into a thriving business with over 250 employees.
* Tip: Above all else, know your customer. Figure out what role you play in his/her life and find a way to converse on a personal level. Ask thoughtful questions and always be a good listener!

Kay Krill, president and CEO, 
Ann Inc.
Kay Krill is president and CEO of Ann Inc., a cross-channel retailer of specialty apparel for women. Krill has dedicated her career to influencing, shaping and defining the ever-changing landscape of women's specialty retail. As president and CEO of Ann Inc., Krill has a passionate commitment to the company's family of brands, Ann Taylor and LOFT. Krill is widely recognized as a successful and innovative brand builder in the retail industry, notably for her work in the development and growth of the company's LOFT concept, which has become a $1 billion business and one of the fastest growing concepts in women's apparel.
* Tip: Put your client first in everything you do. We're committed to creating a seamless, multichannel experience for her. Our sole purpose is to inspire and connect with her whenever and wherever she shops.

Julie Krueger, senior vice president, e-commerce and direct, OfficeMax
Julie Krueger joined OfficeMax in early 2006 as vice president, marketing and advertising and was promoted to senior vice president, e-commerce and direct in 2009. In her current role, Krueger is responsible for the company's e-commerce, direct mail and catalog businesses, including OfficeMax.com, OfficeSolutions.com, OfficeMax catalog and the Reliable brand business. Krueger's responsibilities encompass OfficeMax's direct and email marketing efforts, including the development of a new concentration on targeted marketing efforts to its enterprise customer segment. Prior to joining OfficeMax, Krueger spent 15 years in marketing positions with Sears, NEC Technologies and Helene Curtis.
* Tip: Cross-channel retailers need to remember the qualitative and quantitative advantages of being a multichannel retailer vs. what pure-play online retailers lack. Multichannel retailers have the advantage of providing opportunities for customers to interact with products, information and services at various points of intersection that ultimately help them make smarter purchasing decisions. Being present and available to assist wherever a consumer is in his/her shopping journey allows them to view cross-channel retailers as more than just a place to buy product — we help them build confidence and satisfaction in their purchasing decisions.

Barbara Levy, senior strategy 
consultant, 
ideeli
Barbara Levy is senior strategy consultant at ideeli, a members-only shopping community that offers authentic luxury items at preferential prices. Since assuming her position at ideeli in September 2010, Levy has galvanized and continued to build the brand's merchandising team while devising new strategies for vendor and brand engagement. Levy devotes her considerable experience to the alignment of merchandising function with the strategic direction of the company. She continues to strengthen ideeli's reporting and analytics systems while providing leadership as the company fast-tracks its relationship building across a portfolio of brands. Levy joined ideeli from Ross Stores, where she occupied a number of leadership positions during her 15-year tenure.
* Tip: It's about providing great product and value to customers, while listening to what they have to say and understanding what they want. At the same time, listen to your team, be humble and maintain a sense of urgency — always.