Camping World brings on Ulta, Walmart vets

Dive Brief:

In a bid to improve customer shopping experience and growth, Camping World has hired Elizabeth Garry to serve as its vice president of e-commerce and Jessica Wegner as vice president of customer loyalty and membership, the company announced on Monday.
Garry will oversee the company's omnichannel strategy to create a seamless shopping experience online and in-store. Before joining Camping World, Garry previously held roles at Walmart and Wayfair.
Wegner will manage customer acquisition and retention and develop its Good Sam Membership business. Wegner brings prior experience from Ulta Beauty and Discover Financial Services, per the announcement.

Dive Insight:

The recent leadership hires come as Camping World seeks to grow its business and better serve customers through new and upgraded facilities and key acquisitions, the company said.

While Garry brings experience with developing and growing product categories at Walmart, Wegner most recently worked to increase loyalty and wallet share for Ulta Beauty.

"As we continue to make the business stronger, we are always looking for talent to bring new ideas and innovation to better serve our customers," Marcus Lemonis, CEO and chairman of Camping World Holdings, said in a statement. "The track records, depth of experience and enthusiasm about joining our company makes both Ms. Wegner and Ms. Garry ideal leaders to build on the forward momentum of Camping World and the rest of the Leadership Team."

Headquartered in Lincolnshire, Illinois, Camping World has more than 170 stores across the country. But like many retailers, investing in e-commerce and new talent to help keep the customers they have has proven to be essential during an economically turbulent time.

Walmart, where Garry worked as associate director in the retailer's e-commerce business, credited online holiday shopping and its e-commerce operations for its fourth Q4 sales boost.

Adobe's Digital Economy Index report estimates that e-commerce spending could reach $1 trillion by 2022. Now that consumers are spending more online, retailers must figure out how to make their omnichannel strategies more efficient.

While Camping World made a key hire for its loyalty program, other retailers like Kohl's and Madewell have recently updated their customer loyalty incentives, too. During the COVID-19 pandemic, loyalty programs have become critical for keeping customers.