The Vitamin Shoppe appointed retail vet Muriel Gonzalez executive vice president, chief merchandising and marketing officer, effective Monday.
Gonzalez will be in charge of all merchandising, marketing, product development and private brands initiatives, with the task of driving a cohesive, integrated vision for the brand’s ongoing reinvention.
She’s held senior roles at Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Estée Lauder, Saks Fifth Avenue and Ann Taylor over the past four decades. She reports directly to Chief Executive Officer Sharon Leite.
Leite
“I am thrilled to welcome Muriel to The Vitamin Shoppe as we continue to reinvigorate our retail, merchandising, and marketing strategies to become the leading destination for comprehensive health and wellness solutions,” Leite said in a prepared statement. “Muriel brings vast experience in brand building, product development and innovation, and driving revenue growth in a specialty environment. Her talents in forging vibrant vendor relationships and strategic partnerships will be crucial to the continued revitalization of our product assortments and total customer experience.
“Additionally, Muriel’s unique perspectives from fashion and beauty will be a defining factor as we evolve and elevate The Vitamin Shoppe brand, strengthening the vital connection between our merchandise and messaging,” Leite said.
Gonzalez held several senior merchandising roles at Macy’s from 2006 to 2017, leaving that company as executive vice president, omni general merchandise manager of beauty, where she held full strategic responsibility for the $3.7 billion beauty business within 650 Macy’s stores, macys.com, and the Bluemercury specialty concept. During her tenure at Macy’s, Gonzalez also held various GMM roles in the fragrance, women’s shoes, handbags, accessories, jewelry, and intimate apparel categories.
She spent nine years at Estée Lauder North America, serving as senior vice president of marketing, where she was responsible for all aspects of brand marketing, product development, and positioning for a $1.3 billion retail business. Her previously held roles as include executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Ann Taylor; senior vice president, GMM for non-apparel at Bergdorf Goodman; and vice president of divisional merchandise manager at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Gonzalez
“I have seen the interest in healthy, active lifestyles influence trends across the entire retail landscape for years. I’m especially excited to join the dynamic team at The Vitamin Shoppe at time when this interest is more relevant than ever, and the need for a trusted brand in the wellness space is greater than ever,” Gonzalez said in a prepared statement. “The Vitamin Shoppe embodies the values of quality, innovation, and expertise better than any of its peers and I see incredible opportunities to reach new consumers, new categories, and a new lifestyle positioning that truly delivers on the potential of this brand.”
At Secaucus-based The Vitamin Shoppe, the merchandising, marketing, product development and private brands, and content and creative teams now report to Gonzalez.
Meanwhile, she also serves on the advisory board of Lumanu, a technology-based influencer marketing platform, and as an advisor to Franline, the parent company of Frances Prescott Skincare.
