Bed Bath & Beyond appoints Williams Sonoma vet as SVP owned brands

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. appointed industry veteran Neil Lick as senior vice president, Owned Brands.

He joined Bed Bath from Williams-Sonoma, the company announced on July 13, where he was most recently vice president of product development and the Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen. He spent over two decades in various roles at the San Francisco-based retailer.

At Bed Bath, Lick will lead a newly-formed team that expects to develop and launch a portfolio of customer-inspired owned brands from 2021.

A sharper focus on product curation and differentiation, as well as higher penetration of owned brands in the core categories of bed, bath and kitchen, is part of Bed Bath’s strategic growth plan.

“To rebuild Bed Bath & Beyond’s authority as the leading omnichannel home retailer, we are reimagining how we develop and curate an owned brand assortment,” said Executive Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer Joe Hartsig in a prepared statement. “Neil has deep experience building brands that people love and will spearhead our new owned brand team to curate and develop a portfolio of truly differentiated brands that deepen our penetration in our core categories and our connection with our loyal customers.”

Lick’s career of various leadership positions includes roles in merchandising, product development, inventory management, and as head of corporate social responsibility. He will report to Hartsig and will lead a cross functional team across the company.

“At a time when our homes have never been more important to us, I’m excited to join a brand that plays such a vital role in the lives of its customers,” Lick said in a prepared statement. “Finding new ways to help customers feel at home couldn’t be more relevant or exciting in the current context. I look forward to playing my part in rebuilding Bed Bath & Beyond’s authority with customer inspired brands that are truly differentiating.”

Bed Bath’s enhanced owned brand strategy aims to create a more relevant, inspiring and differentiated merchandise assortment exclusive to the retailer, including in rooms and occasions where it already has significant market share. The company plans to introduce an assortment of owned brands in 2021 and expects its portfolio will expand over time.