David’s Bridal taps Avenue exec to lead merchandising

David’s Bridal’s new chief merchant is a Talbots' veteran. 

The nation's largest bridal retailer appointed Nancy Viall as chief merchandising officer, effective February 4. Viall brings more than 25 years of merchandising and product development experience to David's Bridal, where she will oversee the company's merchandising, product development and designer licensing strategies. She will serve on the executive leadership team and will report to James Marcum, CEO of David's Bridal.

Viall comes to David's Bridal from Avenue Stores, where she was chief merchandising officer. (In August, Avenue announced it was closing https://chainstoreage.com/real-estate/confirmed-avenue-stores-to-close-all-locations all its 222 stores.)

 Prior to joining Avenue in November 2017, Viall spent 20 years at Talbots in roles of increasing seniority, starting as a merchant and rising to senior VP and general merchandise manager. She played an integral role in the launch and expansion of Talbots' plus-size concept. Before Talbots, Viall held merchandising positions at Casual Corner and May Department Stores Company.

"Nancy is a seasoned retail executive and merchant who is just as passionate about the customer as we are," stated Marcum. "She is a magnetic leader who has driven continuous top tier results and has seen significant achievement in rebuilding and repositioning brands. "Nancy has a proven track record for delivering results and we're thrilled to have her on our team as we continue to grow and build on the success we've established over the past 70 years."