Leadership

In my late 20s, I was 100 percent sure nothing could stop me. I was a hard-charging guy with a clear career path mapped out in my head that led to the CEO’s office — not living in the present and being impatient to get there. Then, at 29, a hole was discovered in my…

The Vitamin Shoppe last week announced Lee A. Wright as chief executive officer and Muriel Gonzalez as president, effective immediately. Wright has taken the CEO post permanently after serving in the interim since January. He formerly served as the chief commercial officer of Franchise Group, Inc., The Vitamin Shoppe’s parent company, since January 2022. Prior to joining Franchise Group, Wright served in…

In episode 401 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Bill Barton, president and CEO of Bob's Discount Furniture, one of the country's fastest-growing omnichannel furniture retailers. During the conversation Barton discusses what excites him about leading the organization (0:50), some of the factors that have led to Bob's growth (2:00), and how he's positioning the…

Former Nike executive Blanca Gonzalez has been named senior vice president and general manager of Foot Locker’s WSS banner, effective May 15. Foot Locker acquired WSS, a U.S.-based athletic footwear and apparel retailer that primarily operates on the West Coast and focuses on serving Latino communities, for $750 million in September 2021. Formerly known as Warehouse Shoe Sale, WSS…

In episode 397 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Raphael Peck, CEO of Brixton, a Southern California-based apparel and headwear brand. Peck provides an overview of the brand (1:00), details his professional background in retail that led to his current role (2:50), and touches upon his history of growing brands, including his strategy…

In episode 396 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Amy Errett, founder and CEO of Madison Reed, a hair color company revolutionizing the way women color their hair. During the wide-ranging conversation, Errett provides an overview of the Madison Reed business (0:50), her background as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist (2:56), and how that…

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Marie Albiges and Joe Keenan discuss the key themes and trends being discussed during the Shoptalk 2023 conference in Las Vegas this week. They also touch upon highlights from sessions held at the Women in Retail Pavilion, hosted by Women in Retail Leadership Circle, sister brand of Total Retail.

Jeff Gennette, who has led Macy's as the department store chain's CEO since 2017, announced Wednesday that he will be retiring next year after a four-decade career with the company. Gennette, 61, plans to step down in February, Macy's said in a company press release. “Serving Macy’s, Inc. over the past 40 years has been…

During a keynote session earlier this week at Shoptalk in Las Vegas, Sumit Singh, CEO of pet brand Chewy, detailed the retailer's success amidst a challenging economic environment. In addition, Singh addressed the growth opportunities that Chewy is targeting, the behaviors it's seeing from its customers (who Chewy affectionately refers to as "pet parents), and…

In this episode of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ariane Goldman, CEO of Hatch Collective, parent company of leading maternity brands HATCH, Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in the Pod, and Destination Maternity. In the conversation, Goldman discusses her entrepreneurial career journey (1:00), how the new Hatch Collective business is strategically combining four leading…