JCPenney has named a company veteran to lead the retailer’s troubled home division as it scrambles to recover from a disastrous licensing deal with Martha Stewart, The Post has learned.
Jan Hodges, most recently senior vice president of sales promotion in Penney’s marketing department, has been named general merchandise manager of the home business, sources said.
CEO Mike Ullman tapped Hodges to replace Paul Rutenis, who left Penney in July after 14 months in the position. The announcement was made internally this week, sources said.
Hodges is said to be a favorite of Ullman, who brought her into marketing as he nudged aside Sergio Zyman, a former Coca-Cola exec who had been hired by former CEO Ron Johnson.
While viewed as a capable manager, Hodges has no significant experience working with home products such as bedding, bath linens and kitchenware, sources said.
Prior to her stint in marketing, Hodges headed up Penney’s hair salons under former CEO Ron Johnson, during which the company gave out free haircuts for kids even as it fired stylists and cut commissions.
News of Hodges’ appointment, and her lack of home experience, took some insiders by surprise.
“Home is probably the most troubled division of the company right now, “ one source told The Post.
Ullman courted controversy in August when he tapped Debra Berman, a former Kraft executive with scant apparel experience, as senior vice president of marketing.
Once an industry-leading powerhouse, Penney’s home area has seen its sales cut in half, accounting for about 10 percent of the retailer’s business, as it recovers from Johnson’s disastrous home-goods licensing deal with Stewart.
As reported by The Post, Ullman has already moved to ditch Stewart-designed home products, despite the fact that a New York judge has yet to rule on Penney’s courtroom battle with Macy’s, which sued to protect its own preexisting licensing deal for Stewart-designed home goods.
Judge Jeffrey Oing, who is expected to rule soon, has blocked Stewart’s name from appearing on most of the goods, which lately are being aggressively marked down under the generic “JCP Everyday” label.