Dive Brief:
- Announcing several executive changes, Dollar General named Emily Taylor as its chief operating officer, per a Thursday press release. Taylor most recently served as the discount store’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer.
- Senior Vice President and General Merchandise Manager Bryan Wheeler has been named chief merchandising officer. Pooh Vichidvongsa has been named general merchandise manager, and Shareeka Meadows is now senior vice president of Popshelf.
- Dollar General has eliminated the executive vice president of strategy and development role as of Wednesday, with Steve Deckard exiting the company. Deckard had been at the company for nearly 20 years, per his LinkedIn, and had been named to the role in February.
Dive Insight:
Taylor’s promotion to COO is the latest update in her over 25-year career at Dollar General.
“Emily’s strategic vision and tenured understanding of the vital role DG plays in our customers’ lives will be invaluable as she expands her responsibilities as COO,” Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said in a statement. “During her tenure, Emily and her team have consistently enhanced the shopping experience both in-store and through various digital and delivery initiatives, elevated the Dollar General and Popshelf brands, and improved operational efficiency, benefiting customers across the more than 20,000 communities we serve.”
With her promotion, Taylor’s base salary will increase from $850,000 to $950,000 annually, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Wednesday.
Dollar General’s executive shuffle follows news earlier this month that it tapped Travis Nixon for the newly created senior vice president of artificial intelligence optimization position.
The discount retailer is managing the impact of evolving tariff rates. The company’s second quarter net sales increased 5.1% year over year to $10.7 billion, and same-store sales jumped 2.8%. While it raised its full-year guidance, CEO Vasos also told analysts on a call that tariffs had begun to result in some price increases, but added that the company has fairly low direct import exposure.