Tom Abbott, vice president of private brands and trend services. Abbott has responsibility for strategic planning and customer positioning for all of ShopKo's private brands including; trend direction, product development, sourcing and maintaining merchandise quality and manufacturing standards across all categories of ShopKo's main store.

Abbott began his retail career 35 years ago at L.S.Ayres an Indiana department store. He has held various merchandising positions with Block's and Elder Beerman Department stores before his first joining ShopKo in 1983 as a buyer. He left ShopKo for 10 years, working for Montgomery Wards from 1989-1993, first as senior buyer and later as merchandise manager of intimate apparel, and spent five years as senior V.P. of sales, marketing and product development for The Lovable Co., a bra manufacturer. He returned to ShopKo in 1998 as manager of trend services, and was promoted to vice president and divisional merchandise manager of fine jewelry and intimate apparel in 1999. He was named to his current position in 2002.