ROCHELLE PARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avenue Stores, LLC, which operates the Avenue® brand of women’s fashion apparel, announced today a newly strengthened senior team with the additions of fashion retail veterans Nancy Toth Viall and Stephen Silbaugh as Chief Merchandising Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, respectively. Both executives assumed their new roles in November and report directly to Avenue CEO Liz Williams. These leadership enhancements were made in keeping with the Company’s broader strategy to continually focus on growing its brand and increasing its customer base by offering the very best plus-size styles and fit to customers across all channels.
“We are delighted to welcome Nancy and Stephen to the Avenue management team. Their deep expertise in fashion and retail will be invaluable as we work toward strengthening our position as a leader in the plus-size women’s apparel industry,” Williams stated. “These exceptional leaders exemplify our efforts to refine our organizational structure to ensure we are strategically aligned to bring the most value to our customers and maximize growth opportunities.”
Silbaugh directs Avenue’s Marketing team as it continues to evolve and deepen the Avenue brand’s connection with its customers. As shopping preferences shift, he will play an important role in providing customers a seamless and engaging experience across all channels and touch points in order to build loyalty, traffic and increased sales.
Silbaugh brings more than 25 years of top-tier marketing and retail experience from leadership roles held at L Brands, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors and AT&T. He has extensive experience in women-focused brands. Prior to joining Avenue, Steve most recently served as Chief Brand Officer for Brookstone, Inc. He holds a B.A. degree in Math and Economics from Miami University at Oxford, OH, and an M.A. degree from the same university in Economics. He also studied Marketing at the Executive Education program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business.
Viall leads Avenue’s Merchandising team and is responsible for driving the Company’s overall product strategies to meet and exceed customer expectations while setting the course for growth with current and new customers.
Viall brings more than 30 years of retail merchant experience to Avenue with depth in merchandising, design, and product development in women’s apparel. She has held roles at May Department Stores, Casual Corner, and Talbots, where she most recently served as SVP/GMM of Merchandising and Design/Product Development. She holds a B.S. degree in Business and Marketing and Textiles from the University of Rhode Island.
About Avenue Stores, LLC
For more than 30 years, Avenue has been a leader in the fashion industry for plus-size clothing. Today, Avenue is one of the leading destinations for fashion-minded, value-oriented plus-size women. With more than 280 stores across 35 U.S. states and an expanding online offering, Avenue provides high-quality women’s trend-right apparel and accessories at affordable prices. More information is available at www.AVENUE.com.
