Omni Direction Following OfficeMax, Office Depot Merger
By Hannah Ash, contributing writer
Office Depot Names New Vice President, Names Omni-channel as ‘Critical Priority’
Office Depot, Inc. announced a new executive VP, signaling a new, unified direction for a company comprised of the late 2013 merger between OfficeMax and Office Depot. With over 2,200 retail stores in 57 countries, a strong B2B orientation and award-winning e-commerce strategies, the retailer’s choice in the new executive signals its emphasis on omni-channel sales: in December of 2013, Office Depot, Inc. CEO Roland Smith made a number of significant changes to the executive team to better align his organization for future sustainability. Office Depot’s new VP of retail has a strong background in integrated retail commerce and designing customer experiences.
Troy Rice will serve as executive VP of retail replacing Juan Guererro; Rice will report to chairman and CEO, Roland Smith. Smith commented, “"Troy is an accomplished executive who has focused his career on improving operational performance and the customer experience in multi-unit retail stores.” His 24 year career in retail includes, most recently, 8 years with Toys R Us, serving as executive vice president of stores and services. In his role at Toys R Us, Rice worked to make it as easy as possible for customers to make purchases with initiatives such as the retailer’s significantly extended holiday hours and “buy online, pickup in-store” options. Prior to Toys R Us, Rice enjoyed a 16 year career at Home Depot, culminating in his role as Division President, Northern Division. In 2002, Rice introduced the NCR Fast Lane, making Home Depot the first major home improvement retailer to adopt fast lanes.
Smith forecasted that Rice’s integrated retail experience will fill a real need for the leading office supply retailer, "his 20+ years of experience in retail operations and his omni-channel orientation will enable him to make immediate and significant contributions to a number of Office Depot's 2014 critical priorities." In July of 2013, Office Depot rolled out several omni-channel initiatives including hand-held information-rich devices for employees, online purchasing to in-store pickup options, and plans for touchscreen kiosks. Rice states, "Office Depot, Inc. has the exciting opportunity of bringing two great brands together in a way that provides the greatest benefit for our customers. I look forward to applying my experience and energy to this challenge and to making a significant positive impact.”