Dive Brief:
- Eddie Bauer named Tim Bantle as its new CEO, replacing Damien Huang, who stepped down earlier in 2022 after a year on the job.
- Bantle most recently served as the general manager of The North Face and Timberland-owner VF Corp.’s Canadian business. Bantle has also worked in leadership positions at Black Diamond Equipment and Patagonia.
- He will report to Marc Miller, CEO of Sparc Group, a co-venture between Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group that operates Eddie Bauer along with Forever 21, Brooks Brothers, Reebok, and other brands and retailers.
Dive Insight:
Bantle brings with him plenty of experience in outdoor retailing, as did his predecessor. Huang worked for more than a decade with Eddie Bauer before taking on the chief role. Huang stayed on after the outdoor seller joined Authentic Brands and Sparc Group, but not for long.
Prior to the acquisition, the more than 100-year-old Eddie Bauer had been mashed up with teen apparel brand PacSun as part of a single operating company under then-private equity owner Golden Gate Capital. When Sparc took over, the plan was to expand Eddie Bauer into new outdoor categories and distribution channels.
Last year, the company expanded its retail presence with a partnership with Kohl’s to sell Eddie Bauer products. In the retailer’s most recent earnings call, Kohl’s CEO Michelle Gass called out growth in outdoor apparel with “momentum” in its key national brands, including Eddie Bauer, and said the company was expanding the brand and others to more stores.
This summer, the brand launched a resale platform for used Eddie Bauer gear through a program dubbed (Re)Adventure, which also has a rental option.
Eddie Bauer’s (Re)Adventure helps establish Eddie Bauer’s sustainability credentials, which have taken center stage for many outdoor specialists, with REI and Patagonia leading the way. When Dick’s launched an outdoor specialty banner in 2020, the retailer named it “Public Lands” and launched it with discourse around environmental protection.
In announcing Bantle’s hire, Sparc said that he would “amplify the brand’s ethos and mission for broader audiences and reinforce its commitment to achieving its sustainability goals.” In the release, Miller praised Bantle’s “unique understanding of the outdoor consumer paired with deep technical knowledge that translates into commercial success.”
Bantle will work out of Eddie Bauer’s headquarters in Seattle.
