Crate & Barrel Holdings Invest Heavy In Tech And Talent

Crate & Barrel Holdings, Inc. announces plans for multi-year investment focused on technology, talent, and infrastructure in what it calls ‘Bring It Home.’ The goal is to deliver a highly personalized customer experience with a digitally-first operating model and a modern view of building out the company’s future. The company plans to double its capital investment and the number of employees on the technology team over the next three years. In an exclusive interview with the CEO of Crate & Barrel Holdings, Janet Hayes discusses her thoughts behind the mission.

Crate & Barrel Holdings tech jobs will double

As part of the mission to transform the company into a digital-first brand, it will be hiring over 200 roles on the technology team. Although the current retail landscape is challenged with finding technology hires, especially in the Artificial Intelligence areas, Hayes is not concerned about finding top talent. “Our current CTO, Jason Booth, is a fantastic leader and will be able to attract all kinds of talent from the industry.” Booth, who previously served as vice president of technology at Nike
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, started his run at Crate & Barrell Holdings in late 2021. When he was hired, it was clear that his contributions would be to integrate the company’s digital assets further and use various technologies to enhance the customer experience.

“The company has a culture and history of building great things from 60 years ago when we built this company from the ground up,” explained Hayes. The employees at the company want to embark on this new mission to build a better company to live up to its customers’ expectations. “The recruitment process for the new roles will allow future employees to be part of something really exciting, ” said Hayes. Today’s young workers want to be part of the bigger picture for the companies they work for, and with these heavy investments, they can contribute on a broader scale.

Technology structure changes to a modern hierarchy

A shift in the organizational structure will position the company to more quickly and efficiently drive the customer experience by moving the customer relationship management (CRM) and business intelligence functions to the new technology team led by Booth. “We have a nice mix of science and technology, and we feel that moving CRM and analytics under the CTO is a modern view that will pave the way for delivering premium customer experience,” said Hayes. As more companies lean into using data and analytics, the role of the CTO has become more prominent.

Warehouses and distribution centers get an overhaul

The warehouses that service the five brands within Crate & Barrel Holdings will be a focus for some of the capital investments. The company plans to synergize the technology systems and platforms across all brands and continue investing in automation and sustainable practices. Crate & Barrel Holdings opened a state-of-the-art distribution center in Romeoville, Illinois, a few years ago, which achieved a Green Globes rating score for its unique features, including a photovoltaic system that offsets 100% of the building’s energy moving towards a net zero outcome.

“Tieing labor, delivery, and inventory systems together and using data along with AI will allow us to meet our promise of making the best delivery for our customers,” explained Hayes. The increased automation across channels helps easily identify and offer services for customers based on their preferences. Integrating the tech stack will further Crate & Barrel Holdings’ globalization efforts. “We are a multi-channel, multi-country company, but we were not built for these complexities 60 years ago. Using new technologies and shared platforms with common infrastructures will enable us to build our global footprint and drive our future growth,” said Hayes.

Customer experience remastered through AI

Behind the scenes, capital investments in infrastructure can help create a more streamlined process for the customer-facing side of the business. “Our goal is very simple: to keep our promise to our customers by delivering high-quality products and services on time when, where, and how they want to shop,” said Hayes. The idea is to provide customers with a seamless experience whether they shop in a store, online or through one of Crate & Barrel’s design services. The company plans to modernize its customer experience by becoming a digital-first brand and focusing on business-to-business (B2B) customers.

When asked what excites her most about ‘Bring it Home,’ Hayes said, “Just being able to deliver what we promise to our customers. There is not a day that goes by that we do not underestimate the power of our customers. This is very exciting.” Hayes also discussed how she is thrilled for the employees as well. “The employees are building a modern future for the company, which is a marked change in the company’s history.” The company’s culture has a modern mindset and is building for the future. The company plans to work on the ‘Bring It Home’ initiative for the next three years.