Rue21 Appoints New Chief Executive Officer — Retail Bum

U.S. retailer Rue21 has appointed Josh Burris as its new CEO and board member.

Burris is expected to take over from Bill Brand, who announced his plans to resign from the role earlier this month.

Burris comes to Rue21 from the health and nutrition company GNC, where he served as CEO for the past two years and was recognized for driving significant growth through transformational initiatives. Burris was also noted to have played a pivotal role in revitalizing GNC’s customer-focused approach and forging international alliances.

Burris brings 25 years of experience leading various consumer-focused retail brands, such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Karl Lagerfeld, and Calvin Klein, and developing their go-to-market (GTM) strategies.

In 2017, Rue21 filed for bankruptcy, but since then, the company has worked with its lenders to stabilize its finances by considering various options, such as restructuring its business and expanding its physical footprint.

To date, the Pennsylvania-based retailer operates more than 600 stores across 45 U.S. states and its online platform.

Burris’s appointment will become effective on April 3, 2023.

Originally published at https://retailbum.com on March 22, 2023.