Jim Brett | |
---|---|
Alma mater | Boston University [1] |
Occupation(s) | CEO, J.Crew |
James Brett is a business executive in the field of retail merchandising. He was the CEO of J.Crew from July 2017 until November 2018. [2] He previously held positions at West Elm, J. C. Penney, May Company, Anthropologie, and Urban Outfitters.
Brett began his career in merchandising with retailers J. C. Penney and May Company. [1]
He was the merchandise manager of the Anthropologie Home brand during 2003–2007. [3] [4] Danielle Sacks of Fast Company attributed a doubling of its sales to his introduction of a wide variety of international artisanal items to its offerings. [5] Following Anthropologie, Brett became the chief merchandising officer for Urban Outfitters. [1]
Brett became president of West Elm in 2010. [3] At the time, the brand had yet to turn a profit and was closing stores. [5] He re-focused West Elm from machine-made goods to handmade textiles and merchandise, often made by local craftspeople around the world. [5] [6] During the period up to January 31, 2016 (which roughly corresponds with his time as its president), the West Elm brand reported double-digit revenue growth in 24 consecutive quarters. [7]
In 2012, Brett launched West Elm Market, a kitchen and home-goods store with a coffee shop serving La Colombe coffee, where at least 75% of the products are American made. [3] [5]
Brett began the West Elm Local program in 2013, designed to give stores distinct regional identities by sourcing goods from local artisans. [7] He also committed West Elm through the Clinton Global Initiative to pay $35 million through 2015 to artisans in 15 countries. [3] Brett entered into an agreement with Fair Trade USA for third-party validation that its goods were being produced responsibly. [8]
In 2015, Brett expanded West Elm into contract furniture for offices through a new line of office furnishings called West Elm Workspace with a "residential aesthetic". [9]
Brett said in 2015 that by 2017, 20% of West Elm's goods would have a Fair Trade USA certification, increasing to 40% by 2019. [10]
In 2016, Brett said that West Elm was entering into the boutique hotel business, with locations in Detroit and Savannah, Georgia. opening in late 2018, [11] followed by locations in Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and Charlotte, North Carolina. [12] Brett, who is a gay-rights advocate, said he had "misgivings" about opening a hotel in North Carolina after the state passed its Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, which eliminates anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and genderqueer (LGBTQ) people in public accommodations and mandates that persons in government buildings are only allowed to use restrooms and changing facilities that correspond to the sex identified on their birth certificate. However, he said he ultimately decided that "the best way to effect change is to be there and be part of that change". [12]
Brett was named to the board of directors at Cole Haan LLC in January, 2016. [13]
Brett is on the advisory board of Nest, an organization that promotes business development for artisans and home workers operating in the informal economy outside of factory environments. [4] [14] He is also involved in the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group promoting civil rights for LGBTQ persons. [12] Brett was the largest individual fund raiser for the 2015 AIDS Walk New York. [4]
Brett is married to Ed Gray (who formerly operated a home furnishing store in Philadelphia) and lives in Brooklyn, New York City. [3] [15] In 2013, The New York Times published a photo essay tour of Brett and Gray's loft in a converted industrial building in Dumbo, Brooklyn. [15]
He received Interior Design Magazine's "Greater Good" award in 2016, in recognition of his efforts to support small-scale artisanal craft production, financial and literacy education, "fair trade" practices, and sustainable business development. [16]
Fair trade is a term for an arrangement designed to help producers in developing countries achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships. The fair trade movement combines the payment of higher prices to exporters with improved social and environmental standards. The movement focuses in particular on commodities, or products that are typically exported from developing countries to developed countries but is also used in domestic markets, most notably for handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, wine, sugar, fruit, flowers and gold.
Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is an American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Girls, Baby, Bedding, Home, Fine Jewelry, Shoes, Lingerie, The Salon by InStyle, JCPenney Beauty, as well as leased departments such as Seattle's Best Coffee, US Vision optical centers, and Lifetouch portrait studios.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is an American publicly traded consumer retail company that sells kitchenware and home furnishings. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States. The company has 625 brick and mortar stores and distributes to more than 60 countries, with brands including Williams Sonoma, Williams Sonoma Home, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, West Elm, Mark and Graham, and Rejuvenation. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. also operates through eight corresponding websites and a gift registry.
Illycaffè S.p.A. is an Italian coffee company specializing in espresso, headquartered in Trieste. Illy markets its coffee globally in silver and red pressurized, oxygen-free cans; operates a network of cafes on shopping streets, in museums, and in airports; and, since 2009, has marketed a line of coffee-flavored energy drinks as illy issimo.
The Fairtrade Foundation is a charity based in the United Kingdom that aims to empower disadvantaged producers in developing countries by tackling injustice in conventional trade, in particular by promoting and licensing the Fairtrade Mark, a guarantee that products retailed in the UK have been produced in accordance with internationally agreed Fairtrade standards. The foundation is the British member of FLO International, which unites FLO-CERT, 25 National Fairtrade Organisations and 3 Producer Networks across Europe, Asia, Latin America, North America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as:
L. S. Ayres and Company was a department store based in Indianapolis, Indiana, and founded in 1872 by Lyman S. Ayres. Over the years its Indianapolis flagship store, which opened in 1905 and was later enlarged, became known for its women's fashions, the Tea Room, holiday events and displays, and the basement budget store. As urban populations shifted to the suburbs, Ayres established branch stores in new shopping centers in several Indiana cities. Ayres also acquired retail subsidiaries in Springfield, Illinois; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Louisville, Kentucky. Ayr-Way, the Ayres discount store subsidiary, became the first discount store launched by a full-line department store. By the end of the 1960s Ayres had become a diversified merchandising business with retail department stores, a chain of discount stores, specialty clothing stores, a home furnishings showroom, and a real estate holding company. A long-time Ayres slogan, "That Ayres Look", promoted the company as a fashion leader, and by 1972 it had become the oldest continuous retail slogan in the United States.
The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) with staff in more than 20 countries and operations in more than 70 countries. It was founded in 1987 by Daniel Katz, an American environmental activist, who serves as the chair of the board of directors. The NGO states that its mission is “to create a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.” Its work includes the provision of an environmental certification for sustainability in agriculture. In parallel to its certification program, the Rainforest Alliance develops and implements long-term conservation and community development programs in a number of critically important tropical landscapes where commodity production threatens ecosystem health and the well-being of rural communities.
Fashion Fair is a medium-sized, enclosed shopping mall in Fresno, California, anchored by two Macy's stores, JCPenney, and Forever 21. Originally opened in 1970, Fashion Fair was expanded in 1983 and in 2005. It competes with The Shops at River Park and Fig Garden Village, two outdoor shopping centers in the city of Fresno.
Etsy, Inc. is an American e-commerce company focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. These items fall under a wide range of categories, including jewelry, bags, clothing, home décor and furniture, toys, art, as well as craft supplies and tools. Items described as vintage must be at least 20 years old. The site follows in the tradition of open craft fairs, giving sellers personal storefronts where they list their goods for a fee of US$0.20 per item.
Ron Johnson is the CEO and founder of Enjoy Technology. Previously, he was the senior vice president of retail operations at Apple Inc., where he pioneered the concept of the Apple Retail Stores and the Genius Bar, and the vice president of merchandising for Target Corporation, where he was credited for making the store appeal to a younger and trendier crowd. and he serves on the Board of Directors for Globality Inc., a start-up company based in Menlo Park, California.
The fair trade movement has undergone several important changes like the operation for ten thousand villages to open their businesses since early days following World War II. Fair trade, first seen as a form of charity advocated by religious organizations, has radically changed in structure, philosophy and approach. The past fifty years have witnessed massive changes in the diversity of fair trade proponents, the products traded and their distribution networks.
Malmaison operates sixteen hotels in the United Kingdom. The company was established in 1994, and is now owned by Frasers Property.
Fair trade coffee is coffee that is certified as having been produced to fair trade standards by fair trade organizations, which create trading partnerships that are based on dialogue, transparency and respect, with the goal of achieving greater equity in international trade. These partnerships contribute to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to coffee bean farmers. Fair trade organizations support producers and sustainable environmental farming practices and prohibit child labor or forced labor.
Direct trade is a form of sourcing practiced by certain coffee roasters, chocolate makers, tea sellers, gemologists and more who build direct relationships with the farmers, artisanal miners and processors who sell their products. There is no single set of direct trade standards, and specific trade practices vary as a reflection of business and ethical priorities of the roaster or maker. Generally speaking, however, direct trade practitioners view their model as one of mutually-beneficial and transparent trade relationships.
Randa Apparel & Accessories is a manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of men's, women's, and children's clothing and apparel, belts, wallets, neckwear, neckties, jewelry, slippers, hats, gloves, and leather goods.
Seattle is regarded as a world center for coffee roasting and coffee supply chain management. Related to this, many of the city's inhabitants are coffee enthusiasts; the city is known for its prominent coffee culture and numerous coffeehouses.
Singing Rooster Inc. is a certified 501(c)3 non-profit corporation which works to alleviate rural poverty in Haiti with economic development through coffee agriculture.
Counter Culture Coffee is a Durham, North Carolina based coffee roasting company founded in 1995. It has regional training locations in Asheville, NC; Atlanta; Boston; Charleston, SC; Chicago; Durham, NC; Emeryville, CA; New York City; Philadelphia; and Washington D.C. Counter Culture training centers provide education in the fundamentals of preparing and serving coffee and serve as classrooms and event spaces. Training centers are not only for vendors of Counter Culture Coffee, but are also available to anyone that is interested in the production of coffee. Training centers also host competition training, food events with guest chefs, and professional workshops.
Stefano Ricci is a private family-owned Italian luxury lifestyle brand with headquarters located in Fiesole. With 60 monobrand boutiques worldwide, the brand produces menswear and accessories, a line for juniors "SR Junior", homeware "SR HOME" and lifestyle products. The brand also offers bespoke and interior design services for both yachts and residences. Stefano Ricci S.p.A. was rated as EE (average) by the London-based Standard Ethics agency for three consecutive years 2015, 2016, and 2017. The New York Times calls Stefano Ricci "clothier to the 0.001 percent".
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