Bed Bath & Beyond hires former exclusive brands leader at Wayfair
Bed Bath & Beyond has added leadership depth to its digital commerce team — and with a special focus on private brands.
The Union, N.J.-based retailer has named Jill Pavlovich — the former head of exclusive brands at Wayfair — its senior vice president of digital commerce. She will be charged with delivering ongoing improvements to the digital shopping experience of Bed Bath & Beyond’s new own brands, and oversee digital merchandising and operations. Her appointment comes on the heels of introducing Nestwell, its first of 10 new own brands to come, the retailer has also been ramping up its digital capabilities, both because of COVID-19 and to reach new shoppers.
Pavlovich’s hiring comes alongside the appointment of Jake Griffith to the role of vice president of product management. He will be tasked with developing new digital capabilities and overseeing the stages of the product lifecycle online from discovery to post-purchase engagement.
Both positions will report to Rafeh Masood, Bed Bath and Beyond vice president and chief digital officer, and take effect April 4.
"Our omni-always strategy is delivering rapid growth in our $3 billion digital business, so we're delighted to strengthen our team with the appointment of Jill and Jake who will bring industry-leading omnichannel retail expertise,” said Masood. “As we enter our 50th year, we will introduce customers to the new Bed Bath & Beyond with the launch of an exciting array of customer-inspired owned brands, reimagined stores, and continued investment in faster, easier and more convenient omnichannel shopping services. Jill and Jake bring deep merchandising, brand and digital retail experience to help accelerate our plans, innovate for our customers, and drive continued growth in sales and gross margin for our business."
Pavlovich comes to the retailer with more than 15 years of experience in omnichannel merchandising, most recently serving as the general manager and head of exclusive brands and merchandising at Wayfair. At the e-tailer, she launched more than 90 exclusive brands. She also held leadership positions in merchandising at Perry Ellis International, Dana-co, Natori, Warnaco, and Calvin Klein.
"I am delighted to join Bed Bath & Beyond at such a pivotal time in its transformation,” said Pavlovich. “I look forward to helping develop the digital merchandising experience for the company's exciting array of owned brands, while enhancing the omni-always experience to better serve customers and create a more meaningful experience when they shop with the brand."
Griffith joins the retailer from Walmart, where he most recently was the general manager for sports and fitness. He held many leadership roles at Walmart during his more than 15 years of experience, also spending time with Amazon overseeing business strategy for various portfolios.