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Once a deeply shadowed and wind-swept arcade, the ground floor of Madison Avenue's AT&T Building was transformed last year into the inviting, glass-enclosed Sony Plaza.
More mall than park, the controversial plaza includes a free interactive technology exhibit and retail stores devoted to Sony products. But as a retail destination, observers say, Sony Plaza is a dud.
To improve merchandising and boost sales at its own stores, and keep its tenants happy, Sony Plaza Inc. recently hired Harlan R. Bratcher as general manager.
A fashion and retailing vet, Mr. Bratcher, 39, was most recently senior vice president of QVC's failed Q2 cable home shopping channel. Earlier, as a consultant with Davis & Leaman, a Carmel, Calif.-based marketing firm, he crafted the sales and service culture for the launch of Giorgio Armani's A/X: Armani Exchange stores.
In charge of all of Sony Plaza's operations, Mr. Bratcher must now go from selling fashion via electronic technology to presenting electronics as fashion. "Sony has created a new...