“He saw what a lifestyle brand could look like, understood the value and importance of brands to the consumer, and was a real risk-taker,” said John Idol, the chairman and chief executive of Capri Holdings.
“When I was starting my Home Collection business almost four decades ago David Tracy understood my vision about creating quality products within different lifestyles, not just sheets. David helped make that happen and transformed the home industry in many remarkable ways,” said Ralph Lauren. Even after retiring and into his last years, Tracy stayed engaged, sharp-witted and interested in the industry. Just last week, Goldstein toured stores in the New York-metro area, visiting Woodbury Common and Garden State Plaza, among other centers. “My father wanted to know all about how the stores were doing, what they looked like, what was selling,” she said. “He just loved always learning,” and conveyed the importance of it.
“I met Dave as a divisional merchandise at Allied Stores,” said Steve Goldberg, who runs SGG & Associates, a consumer consulting company. “He became a mentor for me. I was a kid and he was a very senior executive. I had the benefit of him taking time out of his day to talk about business. He was really a visionary guy,” Goldberg said, noting that Tracy, among others of his innovations, developed the “color wall” which displayed dozens of towels in different colors for maximum visual impact.
Aside from business, Gould bonded with Tracy over sports, particularly professional teams from Boston, since both were from Massachusetts. They socialized together with their families. “He just always had a zest for living,” said Gould.