M Macys Inc

By Austen Hufford 

Macy's Inc. Chief Executive Terry Lundgren will step down from that role next year, as the company struggles to adapt to changing consumer demands.

Company President Jeff Gennette will take over as CEO, a move the company said was part of its succession plan. Mr. Lundgren, who has been CEO since 2003, will remain chairman.

In May, Macy's, the country's largest department-store chain, reported its worst quarterly sales since the recession, setting off fresh fears about the health of the U.S. retail sector.

Many of America's traditional retail stores have struggled to adapt to the shift toward online shopping and fast-fashion chains. Many have responded by closing weaker locations and investing in e-commerce but the moves haven't been enough to counter weak demand.

"Now is the time to reset our business model to thrive in a future that is being driven by rapid evolution in consumer preferences and shopping habits," Mr. Lundgren said.

Mr. Gennette, who is 55, was named president of Macy's in March 2014 after being chief merchandising officer since 2009. He began his retail career in 1983 as an executive trainee at Macy's West.

Under Mr. Lundgren's tenure, Macy's in 2005 -- then called Federated Department Stores Inc.-- bought rival and No. 2 department store chain May Department Stores Co. for about $11.5 billion.

The company also doubled down on its Macy's brand, changing its corporate name from Federated and rebranding its regional stores to the Macy's nameplate.

Today, Macy's operates about 870 stores in 45 states under its namesake brand as well as Bloomingdale's.

Shares of Macy's fell 1.1% to $32.44 in premarket trading on Thursday.

Write to Austen Hufford at austen.hufford@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 23, 2016 09:57 ET (13:57 GMT)

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