Levitz Furniture Expands Merchandising Team

Furniture World News

Levitz Furniture, a leading specialty retailer of furniture, bedding and home furnishings, announced the additions of two new Vice Presidents and one Buyer to the company’s growing merchandising team. The Company also announced that Divisional Merchandise Manager Carol Glaser has been promoted to Vice President, Merchandising. The announcements are part of Levitz Furniture’s ongoing commitment to revitalizing its brand and strengthening its merchandise assortment. Joining Levitz Furniture’s Merchandising team are: Joanne Jacobs, Vice President, Merchandising, previously a Divisional Merchandise Manager for Furniture, Lighting, Frames, Wall Art and Home Décor at Bed, Bath and Beyond; Patricia Dove, who has been named to the newly created position of Vice President, Merchandising and Visual Presentation, formerly held buying positions with Fortunoff; and, Kelly Lobdell, Buyer, Fashion Accessories and Children’s Bedrooms who was previously a Buyer at Ross Stores. “The addition of these extremely talented individuals to our Merchandising team continues the significant progress we’ve begun in revitalizing the Levitz Furniture brand,” said Tom Baumlin, CEO of Levitz Furniture. “This team and their dynamic backgrounds will play a critical role in helping us deliver the most compelling merchandise assortment possible to our customers.” In her new position, Jacobs will be responsible for Occasional Tables, Office, Walls, Dining and Outdoor Furniture. Jacobs previously held positions with Fortunoff, Lechter’s, Associated Merchandising Corporation, Bath and Body Works, Cost Plus World Market and Bed, Bath and Beyond. At Bed, Bath and Beyond, Jacobs developed business strategies and seasonal assortments to maximize sales and profits to generate over $500 million in annual revenue. Dove comes to Levitz Furniture with extensive Home Furnishings experience. She previously held buying positions with Fortunoff, Frankel’s Home Furnishings and Senior Merchandising position with Federated. In Glaser’s new capacity, she will be responsible for Master Bedrooms and Living Rooms. Prior to joining Levitz, Glaser served as Buyer, Comforters, Sheets and Decorative Pillows at Fortunoff where she managed inventory flow, negotiated seasonal advertising agreements and strategically planned advertising events, vehicles and promotions. Lobdell began her career with Frankel’s Home Furnishings, progressing to Buyer, Bedding and Soft Window Treatments before leaving in 1999 to join Bed, Bath and Beyond. There, Lobdell’s responsibilities included all product development, inventory control, vendor management, store communications and implementation guidelines. About Levitz Furniture: Levitz Furniture is a leading specialty retailer of furniture, bedding and home furnishings in the United States with 78 locations in major metropolitan areas, principally in the Northeast and on the West Coast of the United States as well as its presence on e-commerce site, www.furniture.com. Additional information about the Company and its brands is available at www.levitz.com. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including the Company's current expectations with respect to future market conditions, future operating results, the future performance of its operations, and other plans. Words such as "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "shall," and similar expressions typically identify such forward- looking statements. Even though Levitz Furniture believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, operational difficulties, varying market conditions, government regulations, and other factors. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date when made and Levitz Furniture expressly disclaims any current intention to update these forward-looking statements.