Business

SCOOP BAGS BERGDORF EXEC

Trendy fashion boutique Scoop has plucked a rising star from the lofty management ranks at Bergdorf Goodman, The Post has learned.

Scoop – a small, fast-growing chain which is backed by billionaire Ron Burkle’s Source Interlink Cos., – has hired Bergdorf executive Shira Lauter as its new general merchandise manager for women’s clothing, sources said.

Lauter, a five-year Bergdorf executive who most recently served as vice president and divisional merchandise manager, had gained popularity among young designers as she supervised the Fifth Avenue luxury store’s famous fifth floor of contemporary fashions, sources said.

“I have been watching her in the market for a very long time,” Scoop co-founder Stefani Greenfield told The Post, adding that she expects Lauter will “help take Scoop to the next level.”

Looking to distance herself from Scoop’s day-to-day operations – even as the company adds to its chain of 15 stores – Greenfield this year is beefing up management. In February, she hired Melanie Cox, a former Urban Outfitters executive, as president and CEO.

With the hire of Lauter, insiders say Scoop could gain a leg up on competing boutiques like Intermix, Barneys Co-Op and Neiman Marcus’ Cusp as it seeks exclusive relationships with up-and-coming designers.

“When great merchants move, the question is always what relationships move with them,” an industry insider said.

Stocked by labels like Theory, Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch and Elie Tahari, Bergdorf’s fifth floor has long been a mecca for fashion-obsessed 20-something shoppers, generating big sales and profits.

Under Lauter, the floor called “5F” permanently installed turntables for DJs, and frequently throws parties that are popular with the uptown socialite crowd.

A replacement for Lauter at Bergdorf has not been named, a Bergdorf spokeswoman said.