JCPenney Quietly Replaces Longtime Menswear Chief

J.C. Penney on Thursday said that James Starke, who led menswear there for more than 13 years, according to his LinkedIn page, has been replaced by Jeff Useforge, who has been promoted from vice president and divisional merchandise manager of men’s, big and tall, activewear and team. Useforge’s new title is senior vice president and general merchandise manager of men’s and children’s, the retailer confirmed to Retail Dive in an email. Aside from his eight-plus years at J.C. Penney, Useforge spent some of his three decades in retail at Saks, Bon-Ton, Goody’s and Kohl’s. He was also a buyer at Penney-owned big and tall label Foundry, per LinkedIn. The retailer actually ran 10 Foundry stores until shuttering them in 2015, according to the Dallas Morning News, but the label survives. Read more at Retail Dive.