Dive Brief:

• One of Crate & Barrel’s founders, Gordon Segal, is returning to the retailer to help find a new CEO and help out interim CEO Adrian Mitchell.

• The Chicago-based home goods and furnishings retailer let CEO Sascha Bopp go early this month after just two years on the job.

• For years since its founding, Crate & Barrel had a certain European aesthetic and vibe. But its merchandise and stores have become more of a hodgepodge, which has disappointed customers and led Segal to say the retailer had lost its way, according to reporting by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Dive Insight:

American retailers seem to be looking at the past to turn their fortunes around, bringing back former CEOs to help out at least for a while — J.C. Penney and Aeropostale actually put their CEOs back into their former positions. But in Crate & Barrel’s case, the move to tap Gordon Segal’s expertise makes good sense. Segal helped found the company and its aesthetic and is known for his vision and attention to detail.