Below are links to recent news articles, videos and other related Thor Equities media items.
- Sears to start hiring for new S.F. office
San Francisco Business Times - by J.K. Dineen
Sears Holdings will establish a San Francisco office at the historic Phelan Building, a 25,000-square-foot lease that bolsters the city’s already strong apparel industry.
The Chicago-based company’s San Francisco office at 760 Market Street will include merchandising positions across both the Sears and Kmart apparel formats. Associates will immediately begin occupying the space and the company will be hiring to fill other positions. Sears did not specify how many employees would be based in the office; 25,000 square feet could accommodate about 125 workers.
“Sears Holdings believes that by creating a presence in California, we will greatly enhance our ability to attract talent within one of the country’s centers of excellence for the apparel industry,” said John Goodman executive vice president of apparel and home for Sears Holdings. “After an exhaustive search we know we have found the right location to meet the needs of our apparel business as we continue to grow, and we are excited to be a part of the San Francisco community.”
Sears Holdings’ West Coast apparel office will be located on the sixth floor — the site of Senator Phelan’s original office. The building is owned by Thor Equities. Mike Brown, Bill Benton and Roman Adler of Newmark Knight Frank represented the owners. Nick Slonek of Cornish & Carey represented the tenant.
“We’re proud to welcome members of the company’s apparel team to what has rapidly become one of the hottest properties in downtown San Francisco,” said Joseph Sitt, CEO of Thor Equities. “The Phelan building — a beloved San Francisco historic landmark with a host of traditional office spaces — has undergone a classic restoration and reinterpretation with open floor plans of creative spaces to better suit the modern office community.”
The Sears Holdings office will augment Sears Holdings’ design offices in Lower Manhattan and marketing and sales offices in the company’s Hoffman Estates Support Center, outside of Chicago.
Sears Holdings Corp. operates about 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel labels Lands’ End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands.
San Francisco is home to the Gap and Levi Strauss & Co. On Feb. 5 the Business Times reported that fashion company Charlotte Russe will move all of its creative positions to 575 Florida St. in Potrero Hill this spring, about 100 jobs.
“On the heels of Charlotte Russe bringing 200 jobs to San Francisco this reinforces that the city’s design talent is a major attraction for employers,” said Michael Cohen, director of San Francisco’s office of economic development.
- San Francisco scores Sears
San Francisco Chronicle
Sears is locating its West Coast apparel office in the historic Phelan Building on Market Street.
"Sears' decision not only brings new jobs and investment to the City, but also anchors Union Square with the offices of one of the largest retailers in the nation," said Mayor Newsom.
Sears Holdings Corp. has signed a long-term lease to occupy 25,000 square feet in the Phelan Building (760 Market).
"Sears believes that by creating a presence in California, we will greatly enhance our ability to attract talent within one of the country's centers of excellence for the apparel industry," said Sears EVP John Goodman."After an exhaustive search, we have found the right location to meet the needs of our apparel business. We are excited to be a part of the San Francisco community."
According to a press release issued by Newsom's office,
Sears Holdings' San Francisco office will include merchandising positions across both the Sears and Kmart apparel formats. Associates will immediately begin occupying the space and qualified candidates looking to apply can send resumes to www.searsholdings.com/careers.
Now, how about getting an actual Sears store in San Francisco?
- Sears has designs on West Coast
Chicago Tribune
Sears Holdings Corp. opened a design office in San Francisco, headed by newly hired apparel and home chief John Goodman.
The 25,000-square-foot office at 760 Market St. in the historic Phelan Building will focus on merchandising for Sears and Kmart stores, according to Sears spokeswoman Kimberly Freely. Sears has yet to determine how many workers the West Coast outpost will employ, Freely said. Its primary focus will be on buying and merchandising.
Tara Poseley, a former Gap Inc. executive who joined the Hoffman Estates-based retailer as president of Kmart apparel this month, also will be based in that office.
Sears opened its first design studio in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City in 2006 where it employs about 200 workers. The center, which focuses on designing Kmart apparel, will continue to operate under the leadership of Lisa Schultz, another former Gap executive who is executive vice president of apparel design at Sears Holdings.
Goodman returned to Sears Holdings in November in a new role as executive vice president of apparel and home with the understanding that he would establish a San Francisco beachhead. The former head of Gap Outlet stores had served as chief apparel officer of Sears Holdings for a short period after Kmart bought Sears in March 2005. In May 2005, Goodman took a job as head of Levi Strauss & Co.'s Dockers business and subsequently held CEO posts at Mervyns LLC and Charlotte Russe Holding Inc.
Both Schultz and Goodman did apparel stints at Kmart.
Goodman said that "by creating a presence in California, we will greatly enhance our ability to attract talent."
Separately, Sears disclosed the downtown Chicago location for its Kenmore pop-up shop, first reported in the Tribune on Sunday. The Kenmore Live Studio, a temporary venue for showcasing the brand's newest products, will open at 678 N. Wells St. on March 11.
- Sears to open apparel office in San Francisco
Crain’s Chicago -by Monée Fields-White
(Crain’s) — Sears Holdings Corp. announced Thursday it’s opening a new apparel office in San Francisco.
John Goodman, Sears’ new executive vice-president of apparel and home, will head the 25,000-square-foot space at 760 Market St. in the West Coast city’s historic Phelan building.
The new site, which was leased on a long-term basis through Thor Equities, will house the retail chain’s merchandising operations for its 3,900 Sears and Kmart stores, a spokeswoman said.
A segment of its apparel business will remain at the company’s Hoffman Estates headquarters.
“Sears Holdings believes that by creating a presence in California, we will greatly enhance our ability to attract talent within one of the country’s centers of excellence for the apparel industry,” Mr. Goodman said in a statement.
The company did not say how many employees will be based in the new office, though it has begun the hunt for staff.
- Sears Holdings Opens Apparel Office in San Francisco
License Global
A West Coast apparel office has opened in San Francisco for Sears Holdings' merchandising employees of Sears and Kmart.
The retailer will occupy 25,000-square-feet on the sixth floor in the historic Phelan Building, located on Market Street. Sears Holdings' other locations include a design office in Lower Manhattan and a headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
"Sears Holdings believes that by creating a presence in California, we will greatly enhance our ability to attract talent within one of the country's centers of excellence for the apparel industry," says John Goodman, executive vice president of apparel and home at Sears Holdings. "After an exhaustive search we know we have found the right location to meet the needs of our apparel business as we continue to grow and we are excited to be a part of the San Francisco community. I also invite anyone who wants to be part of this unique opportunity and to be part of what we are building to apply."
Sears Holdings operates approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retails stores in the U.S. and Canada.