The Vitamin Shoppe, the specialty retailer of nutritional products, appointed Muriel F. Gonzalez as executive vice president, chief merchandising and marketing officer.
In this new role, Gonzalez will spearhead all merchandising, marketing, product development, and private brand initiatives for the health and wellness lifestyle retailer.
Gonzalez brings a four-decades long career in senior roles at Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Estée Lauder, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Ann Taylor. She reports to Sharon M. Leite, chief executive officer.
Leite stated, “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. 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.”
Gonzalez commented, “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 a time when this interest is more relevant than ever, and the need for a trusted brand in the wellness space is greater than ever. 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.”
Gonzalez previously held several senior merchandising roles at Macy’s from 2006 to 2017, leaving that company as EVP, 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. While at Macy’s, Gonzalez also held various GMM roles in the fragrance, women’s shoes, handbags, accessories, jewelry, and intimate apparel categories.
Earlier in her career, Gonzalez spent nine years at Estée Lauder North America, serving as SVP, marketing. She also previously held roles as EVP, chief marketing officer at Ann Taylor; SVP, GMM for non-apparel at Bergdorf Goodman, with responsibility for beauty, accessories, jewelry, shoes, decorative home, intimate apparel, swim, and coats; and VP, divisional merchandise manager at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Photos courtesy The Vitamin Shoppe/Muriel Gonzalez
