The July 17 issue of HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® features the 18th annual Impact Merchants special report. Housewares suppliers, representing the categories that HomeWorld covers, once again were asked to nominate buyers and merchandisers believed to have made a significant impact during the past year.
The selection of the 21 Impact Merchant winners is not intended as a definitive list of the best merchants in housewares retailing. Votes went to several more merchandisers than those featured. This year’s honorees represent buyers in given categories that received the majority of votes by vendors polled.
Voters were asked to give added weight to merchandising creativity, trend and marketing astuteness, attention to detail, openness to risk, flexibility, relationship building and the ability to deliver a profitable program for both the vendors and retailer while providing value to consumers. One thing this year’s Impact Merchants share is a vote of respect by their vendors. In today’s unpredictable retail environment, that vote really counts.
Carol Nakauchi, Dollar General, VP/DMM, Home Division
Carol Nakauchi is responsible for bringing the newest innovation and trends for the home to the Dollar General customer at the everyday low retail prices they need, she told HOMEWORLD BUSINESS®.
Nakauchi, vp/dmm for the home division, also oversees strategic financial planning and profitability of housewares, domestics and home décor, and trains her team to be “great strategic thinkers, communicators and partners,” she added.
She has been in her current role since 2015. She began her buying career at Macy’s, and continued on to roles at Cost Plus World Market, Discovery Channel and Long’s Drug Store before coming to Dollar General.
Some of her overarching goals for the home division, she said, are “to bring current innovation to the Dollar General customer at affordable prices; to encourage new vendors to approach Dollar General with their ideas and products; and to help our customers learn to create the spaces they want with our assortments and offerings.”
Nakauchi was nominated by vendors in the storage and organization segment. She said, “Storage and organization is a very important category. We strive to look for items that will help make our customers’ lives easier. By offering a range of sizes and shapes, customers can create the solutions for increasing space and protecting their property all at everyday low prices.”
Nakauchi added that she enjoys “the ever-changing challenge and dynamic nature of the business. We are constantly redefining our customer and making changes to address the shifting trends and changing demographics.”
2017 HomeWorld Business Impact Merchants (click on name for profile):
- Jennifer Cotreau, Wayfair
- Liz Anderson, Sam’s Club
- Jason Kloster, Walmart
- Tamara Rosenkranz, Williams Sonoma
- Melissa Cameron, Tuesday Morning
- Alison Alness-Richmond, Target
- Dan Williams, Best Buy
- Carol Nakauchi, Dollar General
- Natalia Goncalves, BrandsMart
- Jason Perez, Costco
- Tracy Godshall, Bed Bath & Beyond
- Kanani McNerthney, Kroger/Fred Meyer
- Jason Rogers, Walmart
- Karen & Brad Hughes, Artichoke
- Kim Kimbriel, The Container Store
- Alison Fosbenner, Lowe’s
- Harry Jacobs, HomeGoods
- Amy Eshuys, Christmas Tree Shops
- Sean Le Deit, Houzz
- Brad Wiesner, Bed Bath & Beyond
