BENSALEM, Pa., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Charming Shoppes, Inc. today announced that MaryEllen MacDowell has been appointed President of Charming Outlets, effective immediately. She succeeds Jeffrey A. Elliott, who has left the Company to pursue another career opportunity. MacDowell will have leadership responsibility for the Company's Lane Bryant Outlet and Petite Sophisticate Outlet retail chains, and will report to Joseph M. Baron, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Charming Shoppes, Inc.
MacDowell has served as Senior Vice President and General Merchandise Manager of Apparel and Accessories at the Company's Lane Bryant brand since 2007. From 2002 to 2007, she was the Vice President and Divisional Merchandise Manager for Plus Sportswear, Dresses, and Swimwear for the Company's Fashion Bug brand. Previously, MacDowell was an executive-level merchant for the Federated Merchandising Group, Lord & Taylor, Filene's, Wm. H. Block, and Jordan Marsh.
Joe Baron commented, "MaryEllen is a seasoned merchandising leader and we are very pleased to announce her promotion and appointment today. We look forward to incorporating her vision and expertise into our Outlets division, and view her appointment as an opportunity to more closely align our Lane Bryant(R) and Lane Bryant Outlet(R) brands. I would also like to wish Jeff Elliott the best in his future endeavors, and thank him for his service to Charming Shoppes."
At November 1, 2008, Charming Shoppes, Inc. operated 2,344 retail stores in 48 states under the names LANE BRYANT(R), FASHION BUG(R), FASHION BUG PLUS(R), CATHERINES PLUS SIZES(R), LANE BRYANT OUTLET(R), and PETITE SOPHISTICATE OUTLET(R). Additionally, the Company operates the following direct-to-consumer titles: Lane Bryant Woman(TM), Figi's(R) and shoetrader.com. Please visit http://www.charmingshoppes.com/ for additional information about Charming Shoppes, Inc.
