Episode 567

How Yasir Anwar Helped Williams Sonoma Become a Digital-First Retailer

June 14, 2021

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About the Guest

Yasir Anwar

Chief Technology and Digital Officer of Williams-Sonoma

Yasir is the Chief Technology Officer and Chief Digital Officer of Williams-Sonoma, a specialty retailer of high-quality home products representing a house of brands which include Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Mark and Graham, among others. Prior to Williams-Sonoma, Yasir was the Senior Vice President, Head of Digital Technology at Macy’s.

Episode Overview

567: In this interview, we discuss Williams-Sonoma’s digital transformation and how Yasir helped build a future-proof business model for the company that was able to not only withstand, but grow during the pandemic. He talks about the merging responsibilities of the CTO and CDO and what it means for the company to be “digital-first”. Yasir details how the company is focused on creating a frictionless customer experience, how digital and technology play a role in in-house design, and how Williams-Sonoma balances centralization with independence between their brands. Finally, we discuss what Yasir sees as the most salient trends in technology and digital coming out of the pandemic.

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