The Vitamin Shoppe has announced the internal promotion of Jack Gayton to senior vice president, Merchandising, effective immediately. Gayton assumes the top merchandising role following the retirement of President Muriel Gonzalez, who concluded a retail career spanning more than four decades.
In his new role, Gayton will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Sharon Leite, leading the company’s merchant and product development organization to advance its health and wellness growth strategy.
Since joining The Vitamin Shoppe in 2019, Gayton has taken on expanding responsibilities within the merchant team. His strategic vision has helped solidify the specialty retailer as a premier destination for first-to-market product launches and exclusive offerings from major industry brands, including Barebells, Clean Simple Eats, David Protein, GHOST, Gorilla Mind, MaryRuth’s, RAW Nutrition, and Transparent Labs.
“Jack is an outstanding merchant with strong commercial instincts, a deep understanding of our customer, and a proven ability to identify the brands, products, and trends shaping health and wellness,” CEO Sharon Leite said. “His advancement reflects the meaningful impact he has had across our merchandising organization.”
“The health, wellness, and sports performance categories are evolving in many new directions, creating significant opportunities for The Vitamin Shoppe,” Gayton added. “My mission is to anticipate what customers will want next and bring the most compelling new ideas to market.”
Gayton’s promotion comes alongside the retirement of Muriel Gonzalez, who joined The Vitamin Shoppe in 2020 and played a pivotal role in shaping its merchant-led specialty retail strategy, proprietary product development, and industry partnerships.
In conjunction with Gayton’s elevation, David DiTota has been promoted to Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager, reporting directly to Gayton. Bringing over 20 years of retail experience, DiTota will help lead third-party assortments and drive growth across key wellness categories.
