Ascena vet joins Bed Bath & Beyond as real estate and construction SVP

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. appointed Ascena Retail Group veteran Wade Haddad as senior vice president, real estate and construction, effective Wednesday.

Haddad will lead the Union-based company’s recently announced store optimization strategy, holding a key role in overseeing comprehensive modernization operations that include unlocking value from the company’s 50 million-square-foot property portfolio while also establishing the optimal network to support new omnichannel services such as buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS), curbside pickup, and same day delivery.

Haddad

He will report to John Hartmann, chief operating officer and president of buybuy BABY since April, and will lead a company-wide team optimizing real estate that includes the store fleet across all banners, as well as its offices, distribution and fulfillment centers.

“We have taken a number of important steps to unlock value from our real estate portfolio, while better harnessing our stores to deliver for customers through new services such as BOPIS and curbside pickup,” Hartmann said in a prepared statement.

Hartmann

“Our store optimization and real estate strategy will allow us to serve our customers even better in the future, and support our efforts to build a sustainable, durable business model. Wade has decades of experience in multi-brand portfolio management for leading retailers, with a proven track record driving efficiency and creating value,” Hartmann said. “His vision and expertise will help accelerate our plans to enhance the omni-always shopping experience for our customers.”

Prior to joining the Bed Bath team, Haddad held several roles at Mahwah-based Ascena, most recently as senior vice president, Real Estate and Store Development, where he operationalized an industry-leading real estate and store development function across the retailer’s eight brands. He also previously held senior roles at Ann Inc., Klinger Advanced Aesthetics, Bieri Co. and The Taubman Co., a leading owner and manager of regional shopping centers.

“Bed Bath & Beyond is one of the most iconic brands in the retail space, with an exciting growth strategy to rebuild its authority in the home, baby, health and wellness markets,” Haddad said. “I’m excited to join the company at such a key moment in its history, to harness its real estate portfolio and optimize its store footprint in ways that support the company’s vision, accelerate its plans to grow and better serve its millions of loyal customers.”