Falk the Talk on the Avenue

Susan Falk, a former top executive at Body Shop Intl. and Limited Brands, has been named to the newly created position of president of the Avenue retail chain by parent company United Retail Group (Rochelle Park, N.J.).

Falk will be responsible for all aspects of the 560-store Avenue's business, including product development, sourcing, merchandising, planning and allocation, marketing and sales. She will report directly to Raphael Benaroya, chairman, president ceo of United Retail. She will also join the company's corporate executive committee and will participate in shaping company-wide strategy and brand positioning across all channels of distribution.

Avenue sells its own private brands of moderately priced plus-size apparel, footwear and accessories. It was previously part of Limited Brands (Columbus, Ohio), which still owns 12 percent of the company.

Falk was most recently president of Body Shop Intl. (London), where her responsibilities included managing production and sourcing, developing and executing a brand-awareness strategy and revamping product categories. From 1985 to 1997, she held senior positions with Limited Brands, including president of Express and ceo of Henri Bendel.