END. appoints Lea Cranfield as Chief Buying & Merchandising Officer

Luxury streetwear and sportswear retailer END. has appointed Lea Cranfield in the role of Chief Buying & Merchandising Officer, a position she previously held for Net-A-Porter, Mr Porter and The Outnet, effective as of 1 May 2023.

Cranfield will be responsible for driving END.’s product strategy and leading the buying and merchandising functions. She will join the senior executive committee and report directly to CEO Parker Gundersen.

She worked for Yoox Net-A-Porter Group (YNAP) for over a decade, starting as the Merchandising Manager for Mr Porter when it launched in February 2011. She held various other roles before assuming the position of Chief Buying & Merchandising Officer - responsible for the planning and buying of all brands for the three YNAP websites, managing a team of over 270 people.

Prior to her tenure at YNAP, Cranfield held key leadership roles at other luxury online and physical retailers, including MatchesFashion, where she served as Commercial Director, as well as Liberty and Dover Street Market.

Gundersen said: “I am so pleased to have Lea joining the END. team. Her expertise and relationships will play a key role in evolving our contemporary and luxury fashion offering as well as developing our growing womenswear portfolio.

“Her omni-channel retail knowledge will help tremendously as we scale globally. Most importantly, she’s a great leader committed to the development of her people. Lea’s credibility in the buying community is truly unmatched and her character and authenticity makes her a perfect fit for END.”

Lea Cranfield

Cranfield added: “END. is such a unique retail brand with a great history and a strong reputation for being on the sharp point of fashion. The culture and energy of the company is really strong, and the teams are super creative and talented.

“I’m particularly drawn to the unique communities the brand builds in key markets around the world and the opportunity to serve them. Despite END.’s rapid growth and success, there is still a lot of untapped potential for the brand and I’m excited to work with our key partners and internal teams to make the most of the opportunity we have. The best is definitely yet to come.”

Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Newcastle, END. is a global multi-brand, digital-led retailer, featuring luxury and contemporary fashion and the best in sneakers and streetwear.

The company partners with more than 800 designers and brands and has developed a highly engaged and loyal customer base through its exclusive collaborations and its unique omni-channel offering, including its online platform, mobile apps and physical stores. The company employs more than 1,000 people and ships to over 100 countries worldwide.