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11 October 2022
On the Move: Target's new digital head, evo's first CMO
Plus, executive additions at Under Armour and Jordan Brand.

Plus, executive additions at Under Armour and Jordan Brand.
Welcome to On the Move. In this hiring-focused weekly feature, The Current is rounding up recent arrivals and departures at brands and retailers across the ecommerce, retail and CPG landscape.
This week, Target names a new top digital leader, evo names its first chief marketing officer and key executive leaders are being added at Jordan Brand, Under Armour and Qurate Retail Group.
Here’s the latest:
Prat Vemana was named chief digital and product officer at Target, leading teams including site merchandising, user experience, digital operations and product, as well as online marketplace, Target+.
Vemana comes to the retailer from Kaiser Permanente, where he served as chief digital officer and senior vice president. He previously held top digital roles at The Home Depot and Staples.
In an interview on the company’s website following the announcement, Vemana was asked what his superpower is.
“I break silos and build relationships,” he said. “As someone who leads with optimism, I believe digital is a team sport — important ideas can come from anywhere in the organization. I like to think I use my superpower to bring different viewpoints together and guide the team to a solution that works for everyone.”
Rebecca Heard. (Courtesy photo)
Outdoor brand evo promoted Rebecca Heard to chief marketing officer from the role of VP brand, marketing, and ecommerce.
In the new role, Heard will oversee brand, marketing, creative, and merchandising functions.
"Since joining evo three years ago, Rebecca has led the work of elevating our brand, refining our marketing and e-commerce strategies, and driving our focus on the consumer. I'm excited for Rebecca and the team, and proud to have a strong woman representing evo at the highest level," said Bryce Phillips, founder, and CEO of evo.
Heard assumes the new role at a time when it is evolving from a retailer to include other businesses, such as travel, retail, recreation and hospitality. It is planning to roll out a new loyalty program that connects all of the brand’s verticals.
A former VP at Lululemon, Heard joined evo in 2019.
Additionally, Katie Little is joining the brand as director of evo stores. Little previously worked at Lululemon, bringing experience in retail operations and front-line team building.
Under Armour is making the following additions to its executive team:
Tonia Jones was appointed to lead the women’s business at the Jordan Brand, Footwear News reported.
A 33-year veteran of Nike, Inc, which owns the Jordan Brand, Jones was most recently head of SNKRS and NBHD Marketplace, and previously worked at the Jordan Brand in regional leadership roles.
Nike executives shared on an earnings call in June that the Jordan Brand women’s business tripled between 2020 and 2022.
Scott Barnhart was named chief operating officer at video commerce company Qurate Retail Group, which owns QVC and HSN. The wide-ranging role includes oversight of global supply chain and business functions, as well as US customer experience and fulfillment, among other areas. He will also play a key role in executing the company’s strategic growth plan, called Project Athens.
Barnhart most recently served as president of global medical products and supply chain at Cardinal Health. He previously served as an executive at Aramark, and held supply chain roles at Conagra Brands and Diageo.
Consumer behavior differs by age group, Jungle Scout finds.
Gen Z consumers are shopping online at higher rates than other generations, and choosing to start product searches on TikTok over Google.
Those are a couple of takeaways from a new report on consumer trends issued this week by ecommerce seller platform Jungle Scout.
When it comes to Gen Z consumers, the report found the following:
Daily digital: 32% of Gen Z consumers shop online at least once daily. That’s compared to 25% of millennials, 15% of Gen X and 7% of baby boomers.
Starting at TikTok: 43% of Gen Z consumers start product searches on TikTok. That’s a higher share than those that start searches on Google. In the overall population, a majority of consumers still start product searches on Amazon.
Secondhand savings: 42% of Gen Z consumers purchased a resale item in the last year. Gen Z is the most likely generation to shop secondhand items online to save money.
The report highlights how Gen Z appears to be more digitally inclined, and willing to embrace emerging shopping modes, whether that is a social media platform or category like resale. At the same time, it underscores the generational variation in consumer behavior.
Gen Z seems to be putting the lowest priority on saving money, despite wider anxiety about the economy during this period of high inflation. The report found that baby boomers are 78% more likely than Gen Z to purchase items on sale. Boomers are also the most likely to use credit cards that have perks allowing them to save money.
Meanwhile, 56% of Gen X and 43% of millennials are cutting back on purchases in the fun or impulse category to save money. Among Gen Z consumers, the share of those pulling back is 37%.
“In the world of ecommerce, one size does not fit all,” says Michael Scheschuk, President of Small & Medium Business at Jungle Scout. “Businesses must understand each generation’s unique values, preferences, and behaviors to create tailored strategies. As the youngest and newest cohort of shoppers, Gen Z offers invaluable insights into the current and future trends shaping retail.”
A note on spending: When it comes to overall commerce spending, data from Jungle Scout shows that spending ticked up in the first quarter, though more spend is being directed toward essentials. Consumers bought more groceries, cleaning supplies and supplements, while cutting back on discretionary items such as electronics, clothing and home goods.