Belk Promotes Zant to Chief Merchant

by Harry Sheff

David ZantBelk CEO Tim Belk announced that EVP/GMM of men’s, home and kids David Zant has been promoted to president and chief merchandising officer. Zant replaces Kathryn Bufano who is leaving the company to become CEO of Bon-Ton.

Zant has been GMM of men’s, home and kids since 2008. He served as vice chairman for private brands at Bon-Ton between 2005 and 2008; before that he was at Belk, first as president of its central division and later as EVP/GMM of women’s. Zant has also held positions at Saks and Mercantile Stores Company.

“We are very pleased to announce David Zant’s promotion to our top merchandising and marketing post,” commented Tim Belk in a statement. “He is an exceptional merchant who is well-respected in our industry, and who will bring great strategic leadership to these areas of our business.”

Added Zant, “I look forward to working with the most talented team in retail. Tim Belk has moved the company aggressively forward in all facets, and we have a great team that will take our business to new heights.”