Jim Metscher is a senior executive with over 30 years of experience in specialty retail, including driving sales and profits. He has held leadership roles such as SVP of E-Commerce/Catalog for Casual Male Retail Group, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer for Talbots, and President and CEO of Custom Foot. Metscher has a proven track record of repositioning brands, strategic planning, and building strong teams.

1. Jim Metscher
29 Brewster St.
Plymouth, MA 02360
508-954-2947
hmetscher@aol.com
Executive Summary
Senior executive with a proven track record in driving sales and profits in multi-channel specialty retail organizations. Skilled
in: repositioning consumer brands, strategic planning, merchandising, product development, planning and allocation, global
sourcing, start-ups, and building strong motivated teams.
Professional Experience
SVP E-Commerce/Catalog-President Footwear
Casual Male Retail Group, Inc. Canton, MA. 2006-2011
Managed e-commerce/catalog merchandising for 6 divisions; Casual Male, Rochester Big and Tall, BT Direct, ShoesXL,
Living XL and CMRG-Europe. Created, developed and directed footwear brand positioning and expansion for store and
e-commerce/catalog business.
Volume $80+ million. Increased sales by $4 million and EBITDA by 230 basis points while reducing catalog
circulation by 25%.
Developed effective email marketing campaigns for all direct businesses-improving traffic and conversion.
Increased total footwear sales by over 38%. Improved gross margin by over 600 basis points.
Launched 3 start ups - ShoesXL, LivingXL and Casual Male–Europe. Developed successful/profitable
business models for each.
Collaboratively launched DestinationXL - new Big and Tall concept incorporating all of CMRG, Inc.
GersonLehrman Group- Council of Advisors 2003-
Independent retail consultant/analyst to the top investment firms in the world. Improved investment decision-making and
accelerated business innovation by providing expert advice to leaders in the investment community.
Top 5% analyst
Executive Vice-President/Chief Merchandising Officer/Board Member
Talbots, Hingham, MA. 1998-2003
Multi-channel leadership for all aspects of the supply chain: product development/design, merchandising and buying,
planning and allocation, and worldwide sourcing and manufacturing. Engineered and implemented successful turnaround
and repositioned brand strategy by establishing a clear strategic vision. Product and marketing improvements resulted in
Talbots having its most profitable years in their history.
Increased total sales by 40% to $1.6 billion. Opened over 300 stores.
Achieved 16 straight quarters of EPS growth, establishing performance records. EPS increased 250% from $.57 in
1998 to $2.00 in fiscal 2002.
Increased net income from 4.4% in fiscal 1999 to 8% in fiscal 2002.
Increased inventory turnover and cash flow to record levels in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Achieved record Gross Margin performance in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Designed and implemented a new merchandising process which resulted in improved product, on-time deliveries
and reduced cycle times.
Launched e-commerce channel.
Launched Talbots Woman.
President/Chief Executive Officer/Board Member

2. Custom Foot, Westport, CT. 1996-1998
Responsible for turning around the first retailer to dedicate an “inventory less” store to mass customization; making shoes to
each customer's style and fit requirement. Custom made shoes for men and women, manufactured in Italy - in under 3
weeks, for under $150.
Recognized for Best practices-Fortune Magazine.
Raised $6.0 million dollars in Venture Capital market.
Improved fit rate from 35% to over 90%.
President Retail Group
Liz Claiborne, New York, NY. 1993-1996
Created strategic direction for the retail group. Managed product development, merchandising, planning and allocation,
MIS, marketing, store design, operations and real-estate. Enhanced brand through improved store design, improved
product presentation, and superior customer service.
Volume $ 160 million. Expanded company from 30 to 120 stores.
Flagship store featured on the cover of “Stores” magazine.
Vice-President Product Development/GMM Merchandising/Stores and Catalog
Talbots, Hingham, MA. 1984-1993
Full responsibility for the branding, design development and trend merchandising of all Talbots product.
Re-engineered product/branding process. Increased Talbots branded product from 60% to 95%.
Achieved double digit comparable store growth in 1992/1993.
Launched Talbot Kids and Talbot Intimates.
Education
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio
B.A., Political Science