Newly Appointed CEO Nieves Goes All-in on the Sofa for Interior Define

June 19, 2019  by Jane Chero in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

Most recently, Nieves held the role of CEO at women’s apparel retailer, ModCloth. Prior to ModCloth, he was the COO and CFO of menswear fashion retailer Bonobos, sitting on the executive team during its successful sale to Walmart.  

“We've experienced tremendous growth over the past few years and I'm excited to partner with Antonio to steward our next evolution,” said Rob Royer. “Antonio's perspective from high-growth, custom-centered brands couldn't align more perfectly with the vision for the industry-altering brand we set out to build.” 

Nieves joins ID as it continues to reconceptualize the furniture-shopping experience with unique made-to-order production and a digital-first approach to crafting customizable furniture at attainable prices. ID has grown significantly since its inception in 2014, tripling in business every year for three years in a row; expanding into brick-and-mortar retail; growing the team to 65 employees; and securing over $27 million in venture capital funding. 

“I’ve always been a fan of furniture and design and have been a longtime fan of what Rob has created,” says Nieves. “When thinking about my next step, I looked for a great customer experience, a differentiated product, a business in which I had a strong value proposition and one that was at a phase in its growth cycle where I could have a significant impact.” 

To ensure the brand capitalizes on this period of growth, Nieves will refocus on ID’s hero product, the sofa, and will further build out the assortment with complementary categories. Quality, an elevated customer experience and affordability will remain front and center. 

“Overall, people continue to move away from owning goods and owning items and toward investing in experiences,” says Nieves. “That said, consumers are still willing to invest in interiors because they experience so much in their homes. Think about the rise of self-care and platforms like Netflix and Hulu. People are spending so much more time at home, on their sofas, and we want them to do it with Interior Define.”

While his primary focus is with expanding the merchandise assortment, Nieves will also double down on offline retail. Committed to its brick-and-mortar Guideshops, now open in markets like Chicago, Austin, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston, the brand will come to life in physical environments to offer shoppers the opportunity to touch, feel and experience such a highly-considered item in-person. 

Supplemental strategies include investment in ID’s recently-launched augmented reality smartphone app as well as the expansion of collaborative experiences with design partners like Maxwell Ryan of Apartment Therapy, The Everygirl and Monica + Andy to infuse excitement into the brand through a new creative lens.