The Vitamin Shoppe Hires Brian Hoke

The Vitamin Shoppe has appointed Brian Hoke, as Vice President, General Manager , effective February 1, 2021.

Formerly, Chief Merchant of Lord & Taylor, he will oversee all merchandising functions, encompassing full ownership of P&L and all related margin drivers, including product, pricing, promotion, and inventory management.

Brian reports into Muriel Gonzalez, EVP, Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer, who will partner with him to evolve The Vitamin Shoppe’s merchant-led mindset while accelerating our successes around product newness and customer experience.

This appointment brings to The Vitamin Shoppe an exceptionally skilled merchant with an extensive track record of driving sales, margin, and inventory turn in highly competitive retail sectors. Brian was most recently Chief Merchant at SHEEX Inc. since May 2020. In his over 25 years of senior merchandising experience, Brian has served as Chief Merchant of Lord & Taylor for two years (2018 – 2020) as well as Co-President of that iconic brand for the 7 months leading up to its acquisition in late 2019 by Le Tote. Earlier in his career, Brian spent 14 years at Macy’s in roles of increasing responsibility, including Group VP/DMM (Divisional Merchandise Manager) for Men’s Sportswear & Active, Group VP/DMM for Women’s Shoes, Group VP/DMM for Fragrance, and VP/DMM for Home. Brian started his career at Lord & Taylor as a Buyer for Men’s Furnishings & Tailored Clothing (1994 – 2003) after earning a degree in Economics from the State University of New York in Albany.

Muriel Gonzalez, EVP, Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer, commented: “Brian is an important asset to our mission to build on the positive momentum of our business, much of it driven by a rigorous focus on quality, innovation, and expertise in our merchandising strategy. Throughout his merchant career, Brian has grown revenue and increased market share within his categories by creating and executing winning assortments, trend-right innovation, and savvy inventory tactics. He is a strategic leader and mentor who inspires his teams to deliver outstanding results and will help accelerate our current growth trend at The Vitamin Shoppe.”

This reorganization shifts Inventory Planning and Pricing & Promotions into the Merchandising function in order to provide complete P&L ownership to Brian as he drives The Vitamin Shoppe’s strategy in this area.

The VP, GMM, role was vacant since Day Gooch took on responsibilities in The Vitamin Shoppe’s private brands business. Day Gooch was appointed VP, Quality and Commercialization, on Jan. 13.

In this newly created role, Mr. Gooch is responsible for the operational, scientific and regulatory, and commercialization aspects of The Vitamin Shoppe’s Private Brands business. As a licensed Doctor of Pharmacy with significant operational and merchandising expertise, Mr. Gooch will lead the sourcing of new manufacturers, strengthen execution with our existing manufacturers, lead our Science and Regulatory functions across both private brands and vendor brands, and re-engage with industry experts and associations within our industry. He will work closely with the Merchandising team, as well as Inventory Planning and Supply Chain, as The Vitamin Shoppe enhances Product Lifecycle Management and Sales & Operations Planning processes to enhance innovation and speed to market. Mr. Gooch was previously VP, General Merchandise Manager at The Vitamin Shoppe

The Vitamin Shoppe®, a subsidiary of Franchise Group Inc. (NASDAQ: FRG), is an omni-channel specialty retailer and wellness lifestyle Company with the mission of providing customers with the most trusted products, guidance, and services to help them become their best selves, however they define it. Based in Secaucus, New Jersey, the Company offers a comprehensive assortment of nutritional solutions, including vitamins, minerals, specialty supplements, herbs, sports nutrition, homeopathic remedies, green living products, and natural beauty aids. In addition to carrying products from approximately 700 national brands, The Vitamin Shoppe offers products from its proprietary brands within its owned and wholesale channels, including: The Vitamin Shoppe®, Vthrive The Vitamin Shoppe™, BodyTech®, BodyTech®Elite, fitfactor Weight Management System™, fitfactor KETO™, plnt®, ProBioCare®, and True Athlete®. The Company conducts business through over 715 company-operated retail stores under The Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements banners, and via its website, www.vitaminshoppe.com.

 

Christine Schott Ledes
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