Merrell has tapped an industry vet to fill its chief merchant officer role.
The company announced today that it has hired Sumi Scott as its chief merchant officer, a 20-year veteran in the outdoor and lifestyle markets with stints at The North Face and Canada Goose. Scott will report directly to Chris Hufnagel, Merrell global brand president.
“We believe her extensive experience, merchant mindset and passion for the outdoors is perfectly aligned with our team and brand,” Merrell global brand president Chris Hufnagel said in a statement. “As a consumer-centric, data-driven merchant, we know Sumi will play a pivotal role in further propelling Merrell’s growth as a global leader in the outdoor industry.”
In the role, Merrell Scott will be tasked with leading its the evolution of its global growth strategies and establishing its roadmap to future category growth. Also, Merrell said Scott will be responsible for overseeing the transformation of Merrell’s apparel and accessories business and leading merchandising for its direct-to-consumer operations.
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Prior to Merrell, Scott held product and merchandising leadership positions with major players in the outdoor and lifestyle spaces, including spending 14-plus years at The North Face in several roles and nearly two years at Canada Goose as its VP of merchandising.
“For years, I have admired Merrell’s passion and commitment to the outdoors. I’m so honored by this opportunity to join such a dynamic and progressive team,” Scott said in a statement. “I was attracted to Merrell because of the vision of the brand and the team, which is why I look forward to working alongside of these trailblazers and doing my part to elevate the consumer-first mindset across the brand’s product innovation and retail experience to help drive accelerated growth and further establish Merrell’s positioning as a head-to-toe performance and lifestyle brand.”
In February, Wolverine Worldwide reported strong Q4 2021 results, including revenues of $635.6 million, up 24.7% versus the prior year, and revenue at of $2.4 billion for the fiscal year, a year-over-year climb of 34.8%. Specifically for Merrell, Wolverine stated the brand was up 22% for the full year and hit sales records for 2021.
This month, Merrell revealed its latest campaign, dubbed “More Less,” which Merrell said was created to attack “the gimmicks and endless chase of the women’s self-care market” that “posits that all you need is the right healing crystals and facial to turn your day around.”
