3 minutes

Doren worked at Levi & Strauss for more than 20 years prior to taking the CMO role at Journeys Group.

Genesco’s Journeys Group has brought on Stacy Doren, a marketing veteran with 20-plus years at Levi Strauss & Co., as its new executive vice president and chief marketing officer (CMO).

Starting Aug. 1, Doren will lead all marketing efforts for the teen fashion footwear brand. Same-store sales have lagged at Journeys and Genesco brands widely. However, Genesco reported a modest uptick in ecommerce sales during the last quarter. Doren will report directly to Journeys Group president Andy Gray, a former Foot Locker executive who also joined the company in January.

In a LinkedIn post announcing her new role, Doren wrote, “As a mom of two teenagers, I’ve frequented Journeys for years and strongly believe in the value proposition they deliver.”

Journeys is the largest business unit of Genesco Inc., which ranks No. 169 in the Top 1000, Digital Commerce 360’s database of the largest North American online retailers. The Nashville-based company operates 1,320 retail stores, along with ecommerce sites, and it’s the parent company of other footwear brands including Schuh, Little Burgundy and Johnston & Murphy. In the Top 1000 Database, it falls under the Apparel & Accessories category.

Doren’s career prior to joining Journeys as CMO

Doren started at Levi’s in 1999 as a senior manager for website content and marketing. Over her 24-year tenure, she held various senior positions, most recently serving as vice president of Levi’s Americas Marketing, overseeing the U.S. and Canada, while also leading the Latin America region for eight years.

advertisement

Doren led a 50-person team at Levi’s, handling creative development, channel marketing, and other initiatives. According to a Journeys news release, she developed strategies that increased consumer engagement, rejuvenated the women’s business and revived the brand’s appeal among youth.

“Stacy is an exceptional marketing leader with a resolute commitment to consumer-centric strategies,” Gray, Journeys president, said in a statement. “Her brand-building capabilities and strategic foresight make her the ideal partner in shaping Journeys’ future chapters.”

Before joining Journeys in January, Gray spent over two decades at Foot Locker. There, he held senior roles including global president of Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs and Sidestep. Foot Locker ranks No. 68 in the Top 1000.

Journeys’ leadership team also includes chief operating officer Mike Sypert, who has managed daily operations for Journeys, Journeys Kidz and Little Burgundy since August. In February, Chris Santaella, a former Foot Locker executive, joined as the retailer’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer.

Journeys Group’s importance to Genesco

Journeys represented 62% of Genesco’s net sales in fiscal 2023, according to Genesco.

For its fiscal first quarter ended May 4, Genesco reported a 5% drop in net sales to $457.6 million, down from $483.3 million a year ago.

Comparable ecommerce sales rose by 3%, accounting for 23% of retail sales, up from 21% last year.

Genesco ended the quarter with 75 fewer stores versus a year ago. The drop in first-quarter sales was attributed to the store closures and lower wholesale and in-store sales, though higher ecommerce sales helped mitigate the impact. The company closed 17 Journeys stores this quarter and is considering shutting up to 50 more by early next year.

advertisement

In its quarterly earnings call, Genesco CEO Mimi Vaughn emphasized Journeys’ efforts to boost its brand presence. Those efforts applied both in-store and online. She said a visual website refresh is in the works to improve the brand’s digital experience, but she didn’t provide a launch date.

Do you rank in our databases? 

Submit your data and we’ll see where you fit in our next ranking update.

Sign up

Stay on top of the latest developments in the online retail industry. Sign up for a complimentary subscription to Digital Commerce 360 Retail NewsFollow us on LinkedInTwitterFacebook and YouTube. Be the first to know when Digital Commerce 360 publishes news content.

Favorite