BJ’s Wholesale Club taps Monica Schwartz as chief digital officer

Former Home Depot executive Monica Schwartz is joining BJ’s Wholesale Club as senior vice president and chief digital officer.

BJ’s said Thursday that Schwartz will start in the post on Aug. 3. In the role, she will lead the warehouse club chain’s digital business and report directly to President and CEO Lee Delaney.

Schwartz fills the vacancy left by Rafeh Masood, who joined home goods retailer Bed Bath & Beyond in May as executive vice president and chief digital officer. Masood was BJ’s first chief digital officer, joining the company in mid-2017.

Most recently, Schwartz (left) served as vice president of online merchandising at home improvement retail giant Home Depot, where she oversaw the chain’s online merchandising and category experience across desktop, mobile web and app channels. Before that, she was executive vice president of digital at Nine West Holdings, chief global digital officer Stuart Weitzman Holdings, executive director of e-commerce at David Yurman Enterprise and a general manager at eBay.

“I am excited to join the BJ’s team and look forward to working alongside a talented group of people to continue to scale and enhance the company’s digital capabilities,” Schwartz said in a statement. “BJ’s has made significant progress in its digital transformation, and I look forward to partnering with the team to continue to build on this momentum and position the company for long-term success.”

Related:Sales at BJ’s Wholesale surge over 20% in first quarter

BJ’s said its digital projects in recent years have included the launch of an improved website, a mobile app, digital coupons, buy-online-pickup-in-club service and same-day grocery delivery, among other efforts. Schwartz will continue to build on these capabilities and drive further enhancement to deliver value and convenience to members.

“We remain committed to scaling our digital business and launching new offerings that deliver convenience and delight our members,” Delaney stated. “We’re thrilled Monica is joining the team. Her extensive knowledge, experience and diverse background will be instrumental as we continue to accelerate our digital priorities and transform BJ’s Wholesale Club.”   

Westborough, Mass.-based BJ’s currently operates 218 membership warehouse clubs and 147 BJ’s Gas stations in 17 states.

By early next year, BJ’s is slated to raise its wholesale club count to 221. Plans call for a new club and fuel station to open in Chesterfield, Mich. on July 31, and yesterday the company said it aims to open new clubs in Long Island City (in the New York City borough of Queens) and Newburgh, N.Y., in early 2021. The Newburgh location also will have a BJ’s Gas station.

Related:BJ’s hires Paul Cichocki to oversee membership