Parachute hires Gap vet as first chief merchandising officer

Dive Brief:

As it looks to scale its business, DTC bedding brand Parachute on Thursday announced Meredith Lamont has joined the company as its first chief merchandising officer.
Lamont, a 20-year retail veteran with 13 years in the home furnishing space, previously held senior-level roles at Gap, Pottery Barn and Levi Strauss, according to a company press release. She has experience in assortment analysis, brand strategy, product development and partnerships, the company said.
As chief merchant, Lamont will help Parachute's leadership team deliver sustained growth at the brand.

Dive Insight:

As Parachute looks toward future growth, it's pulling seasoned retail veterans into its C-suite.

"Meredith has an excellent track record when it comes to successfully identifying white spaces across different industries and tracking evolving consumer trends, which will be instrumental as we look at opportunities to grow our product assortment," Parachute founder and CEO Ariel Kaye said in a statement.

Meredith Lamont, a 20-year retail vet, has previously worked for Gap, Pottery Barn and Levi Strauss.

Courtesy of Parachute

Late last year, the DTC brand brought on Drew Sheriff from Amazon to serve as its first chief commercial officer and focus on store expansion efforts, customer acquisition and store design, among other things.

Parachute, which got its start in 2014 selling bedding, was uniquely positioned to benefit at the onset of the pandemic by selling within a category in high demand and operating primarily online where consumers were shopping. And to help grow its presence in the broader home category, the brand in September announced it expanded into furniture, beginning with bed frames and planning more product launches early this year.

In addition to growing its product offerings, the brand has also broadened the channels it sells in. About a year ago, Parachute teamed up with Crate and Barrel for a six-month exclusive collection, which was sold in 65 Crate and Barrel stores and on its website.

The brand this month also announced commitments related to sustainability, ethical manufacturing, and diversity, equity and inclusion, including becoming certified carbon neutral by April 22, launching fair trade products this year, and establishing programs to create opportunities for diverse talent.