Robinson’s Replaces General Manager in Flagship Store at Crystal Court : RETAILING

Nobody’s saying much about why, but Gaby Enright has quietly been replaced as general manager of JW Robinson’s flagship store at South Coast Plaza’s Crystal Court.

The transfer marks the second major management change among the Costa Mesa mall’s anchor stores within the past three months.

Enright late last month took over as general manager of Robinson’s at Westminster Mall--a lower-grossing store in the chain.

Enright could not be reached for comment. She joined Robinson’s in 1979 and was steadily promoted through the ranks. She opened the South Coast Plaza Robinson’s in October, 1986.

Replacing Enright at the Costa Mesa store is Jerel Berkov, who was named operations manager of the Crystal Court store in December, 1986. Before joining Robinson’s, Berkov was with arch-rival Bullock’s for 10 years.

Robinson’s at Crystal Court did not meet its 1987 sales projections, according to several industry insiders. The store reportedly had 1987 gross sales of $33 million on a projection of about $50 million.

But a Robinson’s spokeswoman said that the management changes were part of the chain’s “customary procedure . . . (we) move general store managers . . . to enhance their development and future success.”

The spokeswoman declined to comment on the reported sales numbers for the Crystal Court store.

Earlier, Nordstrom replaced Dick Harrison as manager of its store in the original South Coast Plaza. Harrison had been at the Costa Mesa store for seven years. He was transferred to the chain’s Seattle headquarters as corporate security manager after taking a leave of absence in February. He declined comment other than to say, “I’m glad to be back with my grandchildren.”

Marty S. Wikstrom, formerly store manager of Nordstrom at the Westside Pavilion, is the new manager of the Nordstrom at South Coast Plaza.

A spokeswoman for the specialty chain gave no explanation for the moves.

But one industry expert said that “Nordstrom wanted to get different talent” because “it’s rather competitive out there. . . . And last month was the first time (the store) didn’t make last year’s numbers” in gross sales.