Lowe's CMO Departs After 14 Months; Replacement Named

Lowe’s Cos. on Monday named Jocelyn Wong as its new chief marketing officer, effective immediately. Wong succeeds Marci Grebstein, who Lowe’s said has left the company. Wong most recently served as the home improvement retailer’s general merchandising manager for the seasonal business, Lowe’s said in a statement. Prior to joining Lowe’s in September 2015, Wong was chief marketing officer at Family Dollar, which is now owned by Dollar Tree. In her new role, Wong will oversee a slew of marketing-related responsibilities, including customer communications strategy, content strategy, customer relationship management, advertising and media, Lowe’s said.

Total Retail's Take: The news of Grebstein's departure comes a little more than a week after Lowe's announced that it planned thousands of layoffs and employee reorganization. That action was precipitated by Lowe's reporting late in 2016 that it had cut its profit outlook for the year, citing weaker-than-expected store traffic. I don't suspect the two events are unrelated. With a new chief marketing officer on board, Lowe's will look to better connect with its customers, who are increasingly choosing to shop online. It's a challenge nearly all traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are having to confront.