New York–As it did earlier this year with its Macy’s catalog and Internet units, Bloomingdale’s parent firm Federated Department Stores plans to combine the Bloomingdale’s catalog and Web units by this fall. In addition, on March 19, Federated named Lands’ End veteran Franz Weiglein president of the combined division. Weiglein was most recently vice president/general merchandise manager for Lands’ End’s men’s unit.
“It’s not worth the making the investment going after three separate channels”–catalog, retail, Internet, Weiglein says. “Federated realized the opportunity to combine the Bloomie’s catalog and dot-com and realize the merchandising and marketing synergies.” Bloomingdale’s by Mail staff will be moving to the Bloomingdales.com offices, which like the catalog’s current offices are in Manhattan, to facilitate more joint planning. Bloomingdales.com vice president/managing director Susan Harvey will now report directly to Weiglein rather than to Federated corporate.