Yumi Shin, who has been chief merchandising officer of Bergdorf Goodman for seven years, has left the company, WWD has learned.
“She is taking a larger role at another company,” a source told WWD on Wednesday. It could not immediately be learned where Shin will be working.
Shin, who began her retail career at Barneys New York in 1997, oversaw all of Bergdorf’s product categories both in-store and online.
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She reported directly to Tracy Margolies, president of the high-end retailer.
Bergdorf’s is evaluating its leadership, and could decide to seek a new chief merchant — an insider or an outsider — to replace Shin.
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Margolies disclosed Shin’s departure through an email Wednesday to Bergdorf’s brand partners, a copy of which was attained by WWD.
Margolies wrote: “Yumi Shin, Bergdorf Goodman’s former chief merchandising officer, is no longer with the company. Saks Global remains focused on executing our multiyear transformation strategy, including working closely with our brand partners to drive growth and delivering for our customers across all of our retail brands. In line with this at Bergdorf Goodman, we are evaluating the leadership approach for our merchandising team, which will continue to remain distinct. In the meantime, the following leaders will report to me, effective [Wednesday]:
- George Fountas, vice president, general merchandise manager, women’s ready-to-wear and Little BG
- Lisa Park, vice president, general merchandise manager, women’s shoes and handbags
- Young-Su Kim, vice president, divisional merchandise, men’s
- Andrew Mandell, vice president, divisional merchandise manager, jewelry and home
- Angela Welcome, director, associate divisional merchandise manager, cosmetics and fragrances
“I am confident in this team’s ability to continue to drive our merchandise strategy, including being a strong partner to you,” Margolies said.
Bergdorf Goodman is a division of Saks Global. Bergdorf operates its own buying team, separate from the Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue divisions, which have a central buying team.
Shin has served as Bergdorf’s chief merchandising officer since January 2019. She launched BG Radar, a platform designed to identify and mentor emerging talent and has also been very involved in sustainability initiatives. Shin joined Bergdorf’s in October 2018 as executive buying director and was promoted four months later to chief merchandising officer.
Before joining Bergdorf’s, Shin worked at Saks Fifth Avenue for nearly 12 years, rising to senior vice president and general merchandise manager of women’s designer ready-to-wear, handbags and accessories. Before that, she was senior vice president, general merchandise manager and chief site merchant for Saks Direct.
Earlier in her career, she served as a divisional merchandise manager at Prada, and a buyer at Barneys New York.
Saks Global is currently exploring strategic options for Bergdorf Goodman and could sell a minority stake in the business. It’s considered the crown jewel of the Saks Global portfolio, and one of the most luxurious retail destinations in the world.