La-Z-Boy hires retailer
Former Pep Boys exec to head stores
By Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, October 13, 2008
MONROE, Mich. — La-Z-Boy has hired Mark Bacon Sr., a former executive for auto supply retailer Pep Boys, as chief retail officer of the company.
He succeeds Mark Wiltshire, who has left the company. Wiltshire was president of La-Z-Boy's retail segment.
Bacon will report to President and CEO Kurt Darrow and will have responsibility for sales, store operations, training and merchandising in the company's retail segment, which consists of 69 company-owned La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries out of a network of 333 La-Z-Boy stores in North America.
In a press release Darrow thanked Wiltshire for his contributions to the retail business and La-Z-Boy's Canadian sales organization over the past 11 years. Wiltshire was named president of the retail division in late 2005.
Darrow said Bacon has “a wealth of superb retail excellence and experience and will undoubtedly be a strong leader for our retail segment, which has gone through a huge transition over the past several years while operating in a very difficult environment.”
Bacon was executive vice president of sales, commercial and operations for Pep Boys, where he was responsible for 593 retail stores with revenue of $2.4 billion. According to La-Z-Boy, he “spearheaded the turnaround of a nine-year decline in sales, recruited and developed a strong leadership team, developed new operating standards and delivered substantial operating improvements.”
Before that, Bacon was senior vice president of sales and operations at office supply retailer Staples, and was director of operations at Wal-Mart.
“La-Z-Boy is an iconic brand, known throughout the world, and I look forward to playing an integral role in reshaping its retail business and improving its performance,” said Bacon.
