• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, April 15, 2025

Lovesac hopes a buzzy Crocs exec can help it couch surf past soft sales. Heidi Cooley, former CMO at Crocs, is joining Lovesac as the company’s first chief brand and marketing officer, charged with reviving growth through sharper digital and social strategy.

The company is adding the CMO role to support its ambitious goal of reaching 30 million homes by 2030 and to push into new product categories. Cooley, credited with helping turn Crocs into a global phenomenon through unexpected collaborations and a savvy social presence, is expected to bring similarly unconventional thinking to the premium couch brand.

She reports to Mary Fox, Lovesac’s president, and will join the executive leadership team.

“With a remarkable track record of brand-building and a deep understanding of today’s consumer,  [Cooley] brings exactly the kind of leadership and creativity we need to fuel this next phase of growth,” said CEO Shawn Nelson, in the announcement. He praised her alignment with the brand’s values and “tailored customer acquisition engines,” calling her an “omnichannel marketing maven.”

Cooley, who previously held senior marketing roles at Sports Authority, said she hopes to build on Lovesac’s “fan-first” approach to marketing.

Of course, even the savviest CMO can't solve for tariffs or shaky consumer confidence, and the Stamford, Connecticut-based brand has been struggling with a tougher retail environment. In quarterly results released last week, Lovesac said revenue fell 4% to $241.5 million. While showroom sales declined, internet sales ticked up 2%, and the company increased the number of showrooms to 257, up from 230. Net income rose 14% to $35.3 million, aided in part by a 9% cut in advertising and marketing spending, which the company described as a “strategic reduction.”

Still, macroeconomic pressures continue to weigh on results. With many product components made in China, Vietnam and other countries, Lovesac faces additional uncertainty as new tariffs loom. A small portion of Lovesac parts are made in Texas.

Despite those challenges, some analysts remain optimistic. Brian Nagel, who follows the company for Oppenheimer, continues to rate Lovesac as likely to outperform similar companies. “We come away from our review of recent results impressed with signals of top- and bottom-line solidification, despite a still-challenged and decidedly fluid macro-backdrop,” he wrote.

While tariffs represent “a meaningful, incremental risk to sales and profits,” he noted that demand for couches appeared to strengthen in February and held steady into April.