Bob Mettler to Retire from Macy’s

Veteran retailer Robert Mettler, currently president for special projects at Macy’s Inc. (Cincinnati), will retire at the end of the month.

According to Women’s Wear Daily, the 68-year-old Mettler agreed about a year ago, when he was chairman and ceo of Macy’s West in San Francisco, to postpone his planned retirement to take on the special-assignments role, which has involved the strategic development of the chain’s cosmetics business, including strengthening relationships with vendors, enhancing store presentations and introducing organics.

Mettler’s career in retail began with a 1962 summer job at a branch store of Jordan Marsh Co. in Boston while he was studying law and business at Harvard University. He went on to spend 18 years at Jordan Marsh, rising to senior vp and general merchandise manager.

In 1980, he became ceo of the former Joske’s in San Antonio, Texas, a division of Allied Stores, and then joined May Co. in 1986 as ceo of its Indiana-based L.S. Ayres but 27 days later was reassigned to run Robinson’s in California. After six years there, he joined Sears Roebuck & Co. as president of soft lines and home fashions. Subsequent to that, as head of all Sears merchandising, he was part of the inventive and successful “Softer Side of Sears” reinvention under Arthur Martinez in the 1990s.

Mettler joined Macy’s West as president and chief operating officer in 1999 and became chairman and ceo in 2002. He remained in that role until assuming the special projects position in early 2008. During his tenure at Macy’s West, the division nearly doubled in size.

“I’m retiring from one job, but I will be staying busy,” Mettler told WWD. “Next week, there will be an announcement that I am joining the board of a company. I look forward to that and to getting involved in possibly other boards and helping and advising on other kinds of things. I don’t want another job, but I won’t sit home.”