In his second week as Target CEO, Michael Fiddelke has shuffled his leadership team and consolidated store districts, addressing some of the loudest criticism of the Minneapolis-based retailer: the state of its stores and product assortment, especially in apparel and home goods.

Cara Sylvester will take over as the company’s sole Chief Merchant, and Lisa Roath will step into Fiddelke’s former role as Chief Operating Officer.

Appreciated the opportunity to share my thoughts with the The Minnesota Star Tribune on this week’s announcement.

Consolidating back to one Chief Merchant makes absolute sense as this role is fundamental to setting the overall guest vision and strategy. While the nature of essential and style categories are distinct, Target performs at its best when both sides of the house work together under a unified vision. This will go a long way in driving clarity, simplicity, and speed. 🏎️

These are bold first moves that indicate Michael Fiddelke’s focus on delivering results swiftly. While he is tapping some of Target’s most strategic and capable leaders in Cara Sylvester and Lisa Roath, the external search for a new Chief Guest Experience and Marketing Officer will be crucial to bringing in a fresh perspective to round out the leadership team.

A promising first step. Excited to see what’s next!

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