Dive Temporary:
- On Thursday, Merrell named Noreen Naroo-Pucci as its chief product officer, per an organization information launch. She reviews on to Janice Tennant, Merrell international model president, in accordance with an organization spokesperson.
- Naroo-Pucci was introduced on full time by father or mother firm Wolverine World Extensive after spending the previous a number of months serving as chief product marketing consultant. Beforehand, Naroo-Pucci was product chief of males’s attire model Mizzen+Predominant and senior vp of design for menswear within the North America area for Calvin Klein. She spent near 11 years at Underneath Armour, together with as vp of worldwide design engine.
- As chief product officer for Merrell, Naroo-Pucci will assist with the corporate’s enlargement into a way of life model. She has expertise in “design throughout efficiency and sport life-style merchandise, model artistic and product storytelling” per the corporate launch.
Dive Perception:
The appointment of Naroo-Pucci comes amid change at father or mother firm Wolverine World Extensive. Wolverine is within the midst of a company restructuring program, which it first applied in November of 2023 with targets of decreasing debt and seeing annualized financial savings of $215 million.
“Merrell, like Wolverine, goes via a change,” Naroo-Pucci stated in a LinkedIn message to Retail Dive. “The world of outside has advanced as has the hike house — we’re merely bringing the enjoyment of outside to a a lot bigger attain. There’s a large crossover between lively and on a regular basis, and we’re evolving as this evolves.”
As it really works via its restructuring, Wolverine has skilled income declines. Wolverine’s third-quarter income was down 16.6% 12 months over 12 months, although Merrell grew 1.4% within the quarter. That consequence was an enchancment from the second quarter, which noticed the corporate’s general income down 27.8% 12 months over 12 months, with Merrell falling 19.2%.
As a part of Merrell’s persevering with evolution as a way of life model, the model and sister model Sweaty Betty collaborated earlier this 12 months on a ladies’s mountain climbing capsule assortment consisting of footwear, attire and equipment.
Wolverine World Extensive earlier this month additionally introduced on a brand new chief product officer to steer its Work Group, overseeing product improvement, merchandise technique and market enlargement initiatives throughout all manufacturers throughout the division.