About a year into his tenure as Bloomingdale’s chief executive, Olivier Bron knows what’s ailing American department stores: too much focus on financial returns, and not enough on shoppers.
“We’ve lost the element of inspiration over the last 30 years,” Bron told BoF in an interview at Bloomingdale’s corporate headquarters in Long Island City, New York. “With pressure from Wall Street, you lose your long-term mindset and then you’re not investing as much as you should in the…

