Parachute taps Amazon vet as first chief commercial officer

Dive Brief:

Parachute last week announced it hired an Amazon vet, Drew Sheriff, as its first chief commercial officer.
At Amazon, Sheriff focused on the company's physical operations, including helping to launch omnichannel options like store pickup, digital price tags and new payment options. Sheriff also held executive roles at Starbucks, according to a company press release.
In his new role, Sheriff will focus on retail, trade and customer service, including overseeing store expansion efforts, customer acquisition, store design, and the management and operational development of these locations.

Dive Insight:

Through Sheriff, Parachute is building out its executive team and bringing on the expertise of a seasoned retail veteran.

"Drew brings an intimate knowledge of the retail industry and impressive record of strategic leadership, and I have no doubt his experience will directly complement and benefit our long-term strategy," Ariel Kaye, founder and CEO of Parachute, said in a statement.

Drew Sheriff joins the DTC bedding brand from Amazon where he oversaw physical operations.

Courtesy of Parachute

The company, which got its start selling bedding online in 2014, has expanded through both its merchandise and the channels it sells through.

Parachute in September announced it was moving into furniture with the launch of bed frames, marking the brand's sixth category expansion in the last three years. Parachute is planning additional furniture releases in early 2022.

And at the start of the year, the DTC brand inked a partnership with Crate and Barrel for a six-month exclusive collection, which included bath towels, throw pillows, sheets, duvets and mattresses. Through the partnership, Parachute was able to enter 65 of Crate and Barrel's stores, expanding the DTC brand's physical footprint.

Parachute, like many other DTC brands, has brought its offering offline as the limitations of selling goods exclusively online grows increasingly apparent. The brand, which now operates 12 locations across the U.S., earlier this year said it aims to grow its footprint to 30 locations by the end of 2022, making Sheriff's appointment ever-important.

The addition of chief commercial officer to Parachute's executive team comes as other retailers have introduced the role to their companies as well, including Serta in April, Glossier last month and REI just last week.