Retail giant, Macy's, announces a change at the head of merchandising, with the removal of their former chief merchant after a tenure of two years.

Macy's Appoints Nata Dvir as Chief Merchandising Officer

Macy's has announced a significant change in its leadership team, with Nata Dvir taking on the role of Chief Merchandising Officer (CMO) effective from February 1. Dvir, who has been with Macy's for 15 years, previously held the position of Senior Vice President and General Business Manager for Beauty at Macy's, Inc.

Jeff Gennette, the CEO of Macy's, described Dvir as a "strong merchant with deep connections to our partners, first-rate instincts and an eye for newness." This appointment follows the promotion of Patti Ongman, who was previously the CMO, within the company.

Ongman's departure dismantles the team that developed Macy's "Polaris" strategy, a merchandising strategy designed to overhaul Macy's merchandising strategy, particularly in women's apparel. The focus of this strategy was on overhauling private label brands, with the goal of extracting 25% of sales from four major women's private labels: INC International Concepts, Alfani, Style & Co, and Charter Club women's apparel.

Dvir has been instrumental in the transformation of the cosmetics and fragrance business at Macy's. She has created a more open and experiential environment in store, enhanced entertainment and customer experiences, taken a fresh approach to digital engagement, and expanded new brands.

In her new role as CMO, Dvir will lead merchandising for Macy's and have oversight of all categories and private brands. She will report directly to CEO Jeff Gennette. Dvir has also shown her capabilities in this area, having been given the newly created role of general business manager for beauty in 2017 and taking on responsibility for center core merchandise around the time of the Polaris unveiling.

Dvir has demonstrated her ability to add and update products, expand the online assortment, and develop the store-based service model for center core merchandise. Her contributions to Macy's have been significant, with each of these private labels "well on their way" to becoming a $1 billion brand, according to Patti Ongman.

This change in leadership comes after the presentation of Macy's "Polaris" strategy, which was presented before the pandemic. The strategy aimed to modernise Macy's merchandising and enhance the shopping experience for customers. Macy's has also recently replaced its Chief Financial Officer with a business consultant.

The departure of Patti Ongman marks a new chapter for Macy's, with Nata Dvir set to guide the company's merchandising strategy and continue the successful growth of its private label brands.

Retail giant, Macy's, announces a change at the head of merchandising, with the removal of their former chief merchant after a tenure of two years.