SaksOff5th.com has appointed former Untuckit executive Julie Mares to the newly created role of SVP of Ecommerce. The move comes as the standalone ecommerce entity seeks to continue its digital growth and evolve the customer experience.
In June 2021, owner HBC decided to separate the Saks Off 5th ecommerce and store operations into two separate businesses, with the digital business being supported by a $200 million investment from Insight Partners. Now, nearly two years into the endeavor, “we absolutely have line of sight and a roadmap that our ecommerce business will eventually be larger than our brick-and-mortar business,” said Paige Thomas, President and CEO of the brand, at a session during the NRF Big Show in January 2023.
Mares will now undoubtedly be a big part of that effort. Tasked with spearheading the holistic ecommerce strategy for SaksOff5th.com and “guiding the end-to-end customer journey with a special focus on enhancing the overall digital experience through a data-driven strategy,” she will have oversight of the site’s UI/UX, merchandising, quality assurance and digital content strategy as well as the customer experience roadmap.
Mares joins Saks Off 5th with more than 20 years of retail experience, most recently as Head of Ecommerce and Omnichannel for DTC brand Untuckit. Prior to Untuckit, she held various leadership positions at Walmart, Simon Property Group, Gucci, Century 21 and Macy’s, where she managed teams across ecommerce, omnichannel retailing, corporate marketing, planning and merchandising. Mares will serve as a member of the SaksOff5th.com Executive Committee and report directly to Thomas.
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