for anyone following my retail online tracing posts here, this move by Sears Holdings (SHLD) makes perfect sense.
Sears.com tapped an ex-Microsoft (MSFT) executive to the head of Sears’ newly formed online division. The division will be one of the 5 announced as part of the retailer’s recent realignment. James Barr, a 12-year Microsoft executive and general manager of MSN Shopping and Marketplaces, will take over the online unit effective Feb. 2 as a senior vice president of Sears Holdings.
Barr joins former Walmart.com (WMT) executive, Neil Day, the newly-named Chief Technology Officer for the Sears.com group.
The Sears.com and kmart.com combination ranked just behind both Walmart.com and target.com (TGT) during this recent holiday season. They consistently outdid rivals like JC Penny (JCP), Kohls (KSS) and Macy’s (M). This is a area that Sears is seeing results and to place an emphasis here as they are freeing up their brands to chase results on their own makes perfect sense.
The addition of a walmart.com executive has to encourage investors as the Wal-Mart site has dominated the landscape the for quite some time.
Disclosure (“none” means no position):Long Sears, None
