Anaheim-based Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. has tapped a veteran of Limited Brands Inc. to head its fast-growing chain of urban-style clothing stores.
Lou Ann Bett was hired as division president of PacSun’s d.e.m.o. chain, the clothing retailer said Tuesday.
Bett is the first president of d.e.m.o., which sells hip-hop and other urban styles of clothes. Up to now, Tim Harmon, president and chief merchandising officer, has overseen the business.
The company is best known for its PacSun stores, which sell surfwear and other clothes, much of it from Orange County designers. PacSun stores make up three-quarters of the company’s some 1,000 stores.
PacSun counts about 162 d.e.m.o. stores and projects to have 400 in the next two years. The chain’s same-store sales grew at a 6% pace last year. Same-store sales at PacSun stores were up 7.5% last year.
Bett is expected to handle merchandising, design, marketing and planning for d.e.m.o. division. She’ll report to Harmon.
Until this month, Bett spent the past 18 years at Columbus, Ohio-based Limited, which operates Express and Victoria’s Secret stores.
Since 2001, Bett was vice president and general manager of Express Men’s. Before that, she oversaw Express Women’s.
Last year, PacSun tapped Seth Johnson to replace longtime Chief Executive Greg Weaver.
Johnson, who hails from Abercrombie & Fitch Co., joined in November as chief operating officer and is set to become chief executive in April.
