Kmart has named Kelly Cook to take over the role vacated by Andrew Stein, who left in 2013 to lead marketing at Big Lots, according to a report in Advertising Age. She joins the Sears Holdings unit from a similar position at DSW.
Cook will be responsible for brand innovation and revitalization, multi-functional marketing strategy and planning, and Kmart’s omnichannel presence. Under her purview will fall customer experience, integrated marketing, digital media, creative, research, content, loyalty, and Shop Your Way.
Strong in IT experience, Cook originally joined DSW in 2009 to guide database analytics, CRM, and digital media. In 2014 she was named the shoe retailer’s EVP and CMO and given overall responsibility for marketing, including digital footprint, blogger strategies, advanced analytics, SEO, statistical modeling, mobile/apps, and social media.
Cook names digital and omnichannel transformation and CRM among her strong points on her LinkedIn profile.
The bulk of the 234 stores closed by Sears last year were Kmart locations. The chain’s comp sales declined by 7% in the last quarter.
