Gadzooks Calls in the Troops

Gadzooks Inc. (Carrollton, Texas), the specialty retailer that announced last year it was abandoning men's apparel and restructuring its more than 400 mall-based stores to an all-women's concept, has formed a committee to oversee that restructuring.

After the first six-month phase, Gadzooks feels that “the results are not up to our expectations,” according to chairman and ceo Jerry Szczepanski, “[but] we are optimistic that the continued focus of our senior management team will complete the anticipated changes necessary to bring our operating results into line with those of our peer group.”

William Bousquette, a member of the Gadzooks board of directors since July 2001, was elected chairman of the committee. And current director Carol Greer, a retail consultant who has also held senior management positions with the Rich's division of Federated Stores, Carter Hawley Hale Stores and Woolworth/Venator, has been engaged on a consulting basis to direct the merchandising function of the company.