Style: Extra exits at Sew Repair as COO Shah steps down

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Stitch Fix’s chief operations officer Minesh Shah has stepped down after four years at the online personal styling platform, Vogue Business has learned, adding to a growing number of senior executive departures.

Shah, who was responsible for overseeing styling, client experience, warehouse operations and logistics, exited last month after less than two years in the COO role, according to a source close to the brand. Shah could not be reached for comment.

Stitch Fix, struggling to return to profitability since the pandemic with widening losses and declining users, has already seen the departure of long-time executive Mike Smith, who was COO, in 2021, the same year that founder Katrina Lake stepped down as CEO (though both remain on the board). Shah was promoted from his role as VP of operations to COO in October 2020; Elizabeth Spaulding, president of the company since 2020 and a former consultant, took over as CEO in August 2021. Since then, the company — which has a business model built around sending a select number of recommended items to clients — has added direct sales and previews of their clothes “fixes” before they are mailed.

Still, it’s yet to make up for the hit of the pandemic. Shares are down nearly 70 per cent this year and revenues declined 8 per cent to $492.9 million in the third quarter ending 30 April. “While third quarter top-line results, as well as active client counts, were largely within our expectations, we know we still have work to do,” Spaulding said in a statement at the time.

The business has cut approximately 15 per cent of its salaried positions, or about 300 people. In a statement announcing the layoffs in June, Spaulding said that it was “what is required to build for the future” and necessary “to position ourselves for profitable growth”. The majority were non-technology corporate roles and in styling leadership.

A number of senior members of the team have recently left the business according to their LinkedIn profiles: VP and head of strategy and growth Lindsay Ferstandig left the company after nearly nine years in December; Simon Leesley, senior director of strategy and business operations of Stitch Fix resigned after more than eight years; Frances Wehrwein, director of business operations UK, left the company after four years in July.