Big Lots Fires Chief Customer Officer

Big Lots has terminated Andrew Stein as chief customer officer. Stein was hired in October 2013 to oversee marketing, advertising and brand development at the Columbus, Ohio-based discount and closeout retailer. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Big Lots said that Stein's employment had been terminated effective Friday.

Total Retail's Take: Stein's firing comes at a surprising time, as Big Lots reported a slight uptick in comparable-store sales during the holiday season. No reason was given for Stein's firing. He was responsible for campaigns such as "Nailing This," a holiday ad starring "America's Got Talent" finalist Deanna DellaCioppa singing the title song. Prior to joining Big Lots, Stein was a marketing executive at K-Mart, where he most notably produced the viral video favorite "Ship My Pants."