Columbus, Ohio — Big Lots, Inc., one of America’s largest home discount retailers, has appointed two new members of its leadership team. Off-price retail industry veteran Margarita Giannantonio has been named executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, while retail industry brand and performance marketing leader John Alpaugh has joined Big Lots as senior vice president and chief marketing officer.
“We’ve worked diligently to find the right thought and people leaders for these two roles, and Margarita and John emerged clearly from our searches as the right leaders to take us forward,” says Bruce Thorn, president and CEO, Big Lots. “Working together, Margarita, John and their teams will shape how our customer’s experience our brand, and optimize our cross-channel offering of exceptional bargains, treasures and essentials.”
As chief merchandising officer, Giannantonio will be responsible for shaping and leading the company’s merchandising strategy across all product categories. Giannantonio joins the executive leadership team on Nov. 14, 2022, reporting to Bruce Thorn.
“Margarita is a deeply accomplished off-price retail industry leader with more than 30 years of experience in merchandising, sales, marketing and product development in the home, housewares and apparel categories,” Thorn says. “Margarita’s creativity, extensive experience in off-price retail and financial acumen make her a great fit for Big Lots. Her leadership in merchandising will be invaluable as we intensify our focus on bargains and treasures to deliver exceptional value for our customers.”
Giannantonio spent the last decade with TJX, which includes off-price retail brands like HomeGoods, HomeSense, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. She was most recently senior vice president and general merchandise manager of TJX Canada, where she led teams responsible for merchandise strategy and financial plans. She also previously served in roles with Hudson’s Bay Company and Hugo Boss Canada.
As chief marketing officer, Alpaugh is responsible for managing the company’s brand and marketing strategies and executions. Alpaugh has joined the executive leadership team, also reporting to Thorn.
“John’s background includes a deep and diverse set of experiences, among them brand positioning and launch, enterprise strategy, customer insights and analytics, e-commerce, market research and budget management,” Thorn says. “John has a proven track record of marketing excellence, is a strong collaborator and possesses a great mix of analytical and practical instincts. His leadership will be vital as we build an even stronger Big Lots using effective, efficient, innovative, data-driven and tech-enabled marketing approaches to drive results.”
Building on his successes as a business planner for IBM, Alpaugh spent 6 years in Frankfurt, Germany, with Procter and Gamble in brand management before holding various leadership roles with PetSmart. His 16 years with PetSmart included senior leadership roles in marketing, specialty merchandising and strategic planning, and culminated with 4 years as the senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Most recently, Alpaugh was the CEO of CyberMark, a digital marketing solutions provider to multi-location businesses, before successfully selling the company in June 2022.
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Big Lots, Inc. operates more than 1,440 stores in 48 states, as well as a best-in-class e-commerce platform with expanded fulfillment and delivery capabilities. For more information, visit www.biglots.com.
SOURCE: Big Lots, Inc.