Legacy retailers are always looking for a comeback.

Catalyst Brands is betting that marketing plays a big role in larger turnarounds for retailers. At Brandweek 2025 in Atlanta, Catalyst Brands’ Marisa Thalberg, EVP, chief customer and marketing officer, and Ken Ohashi, brand CEO of Brooks Brothers and Eddie Bauer, outlined the retail holding group’s strategy.

In January, JCPenney and SPARC Group joined forces to form Catalyst Brands, a retail holding company that owns Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand, Nautica, and JCPenney.

Reinventing retail

Thalberg took on the role of chief customer and marketing officer of Catalyst Brands this year after previously holding the role of consulting CMO at JCPenney. Thalberg admitted that leading marketing for the clothing reta

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