Bed Bath & Beyond Hires Execs Away From Wayfair, Walmart To Bolster Digital Business

Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) has hired an executive away from Wayfair and an executive away from Walmart to accelerate growth of its digital business, according to a Monday (March 29) announcement.

Jill Pavlovich, who served as general manager and head of exclusive brands and merchandising at Wayfair, has been named BBBY’s senior vice president, digital commerce. She has also held management positions at Calvin Klein, Warnaco, Natori, Dana-co and Perry Ellis International.

Jake Griffith, who served as general manager for sports and fitness at Walmart, has been named BBBY’s vice president, product management. Griffith also previously worked at Amazon, where he held a number of positions supervising business strategy for different portfolios.

Both executives will report to BBBY Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer Rafeh Masood.

“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,” Masood said in the announcement.

Masood also noted that “Jill and Jake bring deep merchandising, brand and digital retail experience.”

Pavlovich will be tasked with providing continuing enhancements to the retailer’s digital shopping experience, while Griffith will be tasked with building out new digital capabilities for the retailer.

The news comes as Bed Bath & Beyond reported in January that digital sales almost doubled during its fiscal third quarter even as overall sales dropped 5 percent and the firm lost in excess of $75 million.

“We knew this holiday season would be like no other, and we took several steps in advance to help our customers shop safely and with ease,” President and CEO Mark Tritton said in announcing the results.

He said modifications included “over 100 meaningful improvements to our digital-first, omni-always customer experience, and enhancements to our contactless new store and curbside pickup and same-day delivery service offering.”