Bath & Body Works CEO Daniel Heaf said the company is turning to social-media influencers and an Amazon storefront as part of a broader effort to reengage younger shoppers who have drifted from the once-dominant mall brand.
Heaf, who joined as CEO in May 2025 after senior roles at Nike and Burberry, said in an interview that the retailer had become complacent. “The business was wildly successful for many years, and then it wasn’t,” he said. He cited an overreliance on promotions — “Overreliance on promotions can train consumers to wait” — and a failure to update products and packaging for years.
The company forecasts that sales may decline as much as 4.5% in the fiscal year ending Jan. 30, 2027. About 60% of its 1,923 U.S. and Canadian stores are now in off-mall locations, and digital sales account for 20% of total revenue — a share Heaf wants to raise to 25% during his tenure.
“We weren’t visible in places where young people go to discover brands,” Heaf said.
To change that, Bath & Body Works in February launched a limited storefront on Amazon with about 100 items, roughly 7% of its in-store assortment. Heaf said the move was met with internal skepticism about working with a competitor, but early results have drawn younger, higher-spending customers. “We’re not declaring victory yet,” he added.
Heaf also outlined plans to expand the company’s influencer network from hundreds to thousands by summer, with the goal of driving sales in the second half of the year. “Influencers help us understand how people describe fragrance,” he said.
Product changes are also in the works. In July, the company will introduce body mists in new formats such as roller balls and multiple sizes, with higher fragrance loads that last longer. Packaging that has not been updated in over a decade will be modernized, including a flat-pack hand sanitizer and a new bottle design for fine fragrance mists.
In stores, Heaf said customers have described the shopping experience as “overwhelming and hard to navigate.” This summer, the company will reduce assortments and add shelf signs that describe fragrance and ingredients. All 50,000 store associates have been trained to guide customers through personalized fragrance consultations.
Heaf said he spends weekends visiting his own stores and competitors’ locations to talk to shoppers. “I always find out something useful,” he said. “The inspiration for all the changes that we’re going to be making in our stores this summer comes from me spending time in other people’s stores.”
Heaf said trends spotted on social media have already influenced product development. A tomato-themed fragrance emerged from social-media listening, and two new banana-based scents were introduced after bananas trended on TikTok.
“I’m here to help restore this company’s relevance,” Heaf said.