Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBY) has named John Welling as Senior Vice President (SVP), Merchandise Planning, Allocation & Operations, effective immediately. Mr. Welling will report to Joe Hartsig, Bed Bath & Beyond's Chief Merchandising Officer (CMO), and President of Harmon Health & Beauty Stores.
John Welling will be responsible for helping lead the transformation of Bed Bath & Beyond's inventory planning and replenishment strategy, a core pillar in the Company's strategic growth plan. This includes implementing enhanced merchandising processes and inventory systems to improve in-stock levels and turn times, end to end inventory management capabilities, product life cycle management, reporting tools and regional merchandising activities. In addition, John will oversee the evolution of space and assortment planning to optimize merchandise in store, ensure a more consistent, high-quality customer experience, and support the recently announced store remodel program which includes investments of approximately $250 million over the next three years.
Joe Hartsig said, "We're proud to serve one in five households across the country and we are building on our strong authority in the home market. John brings industry-leading experience in retail transformation, inventory management, merchandise planning and store operations, expertise that will help advance our foundational capabilities, improve the experience for our customers, and drive increased profitability across our assortment."
Mr. Welling joins Bed Bath & Beyond with decades of experience across the retail industry. He was SVP for Planning and Allocation at JC Penney, before which he held senior merchandising, planning and operations roles at The Michaels Companies and Walmart, where he spent over 10 years in global leadership roles in inventory management and regional operations. Prior to this, John spent more than a decade at Accenture, where he was a Partner in the North American Retail Practice, with responsibility for creating and implementing transformational change initiatives across the retail landscape.
John Welling said, "This iconic brand has been integral to generations of people across North America, and I'm delighted to join Bed Bath & Beyond at a time when its role is more important than ever. I'm excited to help establish new capabilities that unlock growth and build on the strong authority of this business in the home."
About Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") is an omnichannel retailer that makes it easy for our customers to feel at home. The Company sells a wide assortment of merchandise in the Home, Baby, Beauty and Wellness markets. Additionally, the Company is a partner in a joint venture which operates retail stores in Mexico under the name Bed Bath & Beyond.
