Skip to main content
BoF Logo

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Allbirds Names New CEO as Sales Slide Continues

People wearing Allbirds sneakers sit on the ground.
Allbirds has a new CEO. (Allbirds)

Allbirds co-founder Joey Zwillinger is stepping down from his role as the company’s chief executive.

Effective March 15, COO Joe Vernachio will take over the job, with Zwillinger remaining on the board and serving as a special advisor to the brand.

Allbirds announced the news Tuesday as it reported that sales fell 14.7 percent in 2023 to $254.1 million. It attributed the decline largely to lower selling prices driven by increased discounting. Its net loss for the year rose to $152.5 million, up from $101.4 million in 2022. The company’s share price dropped 19 percent in after-hours trading at one point before recovering slightly.

The company has stumbled in its attempt to expand beyond the casual wool sneakers it made its name on and break into categories like performance apparel. Sales at the brand fell at the end of 2022 and have struggled to recover since. To counter the problems, Allbirds announced a strategic turnaround plan focused on being leaner and more efficient, and it has leaned into its sustainability credentials, revealing a zero-carbon sneaker it said would hit the market this year. Investors, however, have remained sceptical about Allbirds’ prospects.

ADVERTISEMENT

It will now be Vernachio’s job to oversee operations and try to make the turnaround strategy successful.


Learn more:

Can a Zero-Carbon Sneaker Make Allbirds Cool Again?

The footwear company says it has cracked its goal to develop a net-zero carbon shoe, but investors want to see a path to profitability.

© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from Retail
Analysis and advice from the front lines of the retail transformation.

Adidas Prepares for Samba Slump

As the German sportswear giant taps surging demand for its Samba and Gazelle sneakers, it’s also taking steps to spread its bets ahead of peak interest.


Op-Ed | The Rise of the Unwasteful Brand

A profitable, multi-trillion dollar fashion industry populated with brands that generate minimal economic and environmental waste is within our reach, argues Lawrence Lenihan.


Fashion’s Stalled Self-Checkout Revolution

RFID technology has made self-checkout far more efficient than traditional scanning kiosks at retailers like Zara and Uniqlo, but the industry at large hesitates to fully embrace the innovation over concerns of theft and customer engagement.


view more

Subscribe to the BoF Daily Digest

The essential daily round-up of fashion news, analysis, and breaking news alerts.

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
CONNECT WITH US ON
The State of Fashion 2024
© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy and Accessibility Statement.
The State of Fashion 2024