Saks Off 5th appoints ex Nordstrom Paige Thomas as president

New York – HBC (TSX: HBC) announced Monday they have appointed Paige Thomas as President of Saks Off 5TH, effective immediately.

“Paige has a proven track record of achieving aggressive growth within off-price retail through superior cross-channel customer experiences,” said in the corporate announcement Helena Foulkes, CEO at HBC, owner of Saks Off 5th. “With her deep merchandising background and instinct to quickly capitalize on digital opportunities, I believe Paige is the right leader to further evolve Saks OFF 5TH and unleash its potential as a true off-price retailer,” she further added.

Thomas will report to Foulkes and previously led the Men’s and Kids divisions at Nordstrom, Inc. Prior to that, she held various senior roles within Nordstrom’s Off-Price division for over five years. Amongst other milestones, Thomas is credited to have driven the growth of Nordstrom Rack, successfully launching its e-commerce site and leading its subsequent integration with HauteLook onto a dual platform with shared inventory, as well as centralising merchandising teams across three locations. Additionally, she oversaw the openings of over 100 stores. Prior to Nordstrom, Thomas held merchandising leadership positions at Kohl’s and Fred Meyer.

“Saks Off 5TH is well-positioned in the off-price sector with a strong digital platform, strategic store footprint and an exciting assortment of luxury finds,” said Thomas. “There is significant runway ahead for this business and I look forward to building on the team’s strategy to provide customers with a best-in-class experience, both in-store and online, and of-the-moment merchandise they expect from a leading off-price retailer.”

“We have seen positive results from strategic shifts in Saks Off 5TH’s buying, marketing and service, including three consecutive quarters of positive comparable sales, thanks in large part to our successful digital channel. I am confident in the opportunity for Saks Off 5TH and believe now is the optimal time to bring in a dedicated leader. With strong presidents at the helm of HBC’s three distinct retail businesses, each is empowered to execute on their strategies and deliver unique experiences for their customers,” The New York-based discount upscale retailer’s CEO added.

Thomas’ appointment also means that Marc Metrick will fully focus on his role as President of Saks Fifth Avenue, as planned since he assumed leadership of Saks Off 5TH in January 2018.