Dive Brief:
Outdoor Voices on Thursday appointed Gabrielle Conforti as CEO, according to details emailed to Retail Dive.
Conforti joins the direct-to-consumer athletics brand with more than 15 years of retail and apparel experience, including as chief merchandising officer and president of Urban Outfitters. Before that, she oversaw merchandising and buying across multiple categories at J. Crew.
Conforti s appointment comes about eight months after interim CEO Cliff Moskowitz departed the company.
Dive Insight:
At the time of her resignation, media reports suggested that there was a division between the founder and other members of the board. Haney, in her own words, said she experienced both gender and generational differences firsthand and these have been very tough to navigate, according to an Instagram post from last March.
Outdoor Voices Names Gabrielle Conforti CEO businessoffashion.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from businessoffashion.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Share it
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series on the trends that will shape the industry in 2021. You can find all the articles on our trendline.
2020 upended nearly every aspect of the retail industry. Many retailers were forced to temporarily shutter stores, furlough employees and adjust strategies on the fly to account for increased e-commerce demands as the pandemic hit.
Direct-to-consumer brands, however, were uniquely positioned to weather the disruptions, operating relatively few stores and already having a very active presence online where consumers shifted spending.
The sector faced struggles of its own though, from supply constraints to shipping delays, forcing brands to make tough decisions like furloughing and laying off employees. But the space has also persevered, pivoting strategies that account for the seismic changes taking place across the industry.
Dive Brief:
Dollar Shave Club on Monday named Jason Goldberger its new CEO effective Jan. 19, according to a press release.
Founder and current CEO Michael Dubin will step down but
remain at the company as a special adviser and board member.
Goldberger was CEO of kitchen retailer Sur La Table for a little more than a year, during a time when that retailer was navigating through bankruptcy, according to his LinkedIn profile. He will report to Unilever North America President Fabian Garcia as its subsidiary.
Dive Insight:
Dollar Shave Club is the latest among a string of direct-to-consumer brands whose CEOs have taken a step back.