Andres to Retire From Dayton-Hudson

Dayton-Hudson Corp. said Friday that William A. Andres, the first executive outside the Dayton family to head the Minneapolis-based retail firm, will retire as chairman of the executive committee and as a director next August. Andres, 58, will be succeeded by Chairman and Chief Executive Kenneth A. Macke, 46, culminating an orderly year-and-a-half process during which Macke gradually assumed all of Andres’ duties. Macke succeeded Andres as chief executive in 1983 and a year later as chairman of the board. “It was in the planning; there was no secret about it,” a company spokesman said. “If there was any surprise, it was that it was announced so far in advance of August.”

Andres’ departure marks an end to a career that began in 1958 when he joined Dayton’s department stores as a merchandise trainee. As he rose in the company, he served as a divisional merchandise manager, vice president-home furnishings and senior vice president-operations before rising to chairman and chief executive of Dayton’s department stores in 1968. That same year he was named a corporate senior vice president and later became executive vice president-retail operations in 1971 and president in 1974. Two years later he became chief executive and assumed the chairmanship in 1977.

During Andres’ tenure as chief executive, Dayton-Hudson, which operates Target and Mervyn’s stores, more than doubled its number of stores to 1,000 from 400. Revenues rose to $5.6 billion a year from $1.9 billion, transforming it into the fifth-largest general merchandise retailer. Annual revenues now exceed $7 billion.

“Bill Andres’ contributions to the growth and development of Dayton-Hudson have been enormous,” Macke said. “I know of no one who commands greater respect within the retail industry.”