Wayfair CFO says sellers on the company’s $12 billion marketplace are trying to ‘insulate’ customers from tariffs

Now, it’s facing headwinds in the form of tariffs and an uncertain economy, and generative AI could be changing how people shop

Kate Gulr, CFO and chief administrative officer at Wayfair, spoke with CFO Brew her career, and her company’s plan to roll with the punches

From startup to category leader: In some ways, Gulr has grown along with Wayfair

At that time, it had $1 billion in sales and 2,000 employees, Gulr said

Her career at Wayfair has evolved in an organic fashion. “I largely let my career be guided by the opportunity most immediately in front of me,” she said. “I’ve never tried to guide toward ‘10 years from now, here’s where that role is getting me.’ It’s been more ‘Is this the next right move?’” As a combined CFO and chief administrative officer, Gulr has plenty on her plate: HR, finance, real estate, legal and compliance, corporate affairs, and communications all report to her

She enjoys the breadth of the dual role, which she says gives her insight into the “backbone” of the company. “Intellectually,” the many departments she oversees “can feel quite different day to day, which is fun,” she said

A turbulent five years for retail: As a seller of discretionary goods, Wayfair has been on a rocky ride over the past five years

It was able to capitalize on the goods boom of the pandemic, when shoppers stuck in lockdown were buying items for their spaces

But as restrictions lifted and consumers pivoted toward spending on experiences, it saw net losses for three consecutive years

Now, though, the category is “starting to stabilize,” Gulr said

Wayfair had a bumper second quarter this year, with revenues rising 5% year over year. “We’re feeling good the momentum currently,” she said

Wayfair isn’t seeing consumer softness yet due to tariffs and economic uncertainty, Gulr said, though it’s seeing more strength in its high-end lines, such as Perigold, AllModern, and Joss & Main, than in its “core mass” lines. (“There’s no question the higher-end market is stronger than mass,” CEO Niraj Shah said during a recent earnings call.) The company is keeping its eye on the macroeconomic picture, though

It’s doing a lot of forecasting, incorporating both its internal data and third-party inputs such as credit card data and housing market trends, Gulr said

So far tariffs haven’t had that much of an impact, Gulr said

That’s partly because Wayfair is a marketplace

Sellers post many unbranded items that look similar to one another, so they’re largely competing on price, she said

Lower prices also allow for better placement on Wayfair’s results, boosting sales

Sellers, Gulr said, are finding ways to absorb or offset tariffs at different points along the supply chain, which is “helping to insulate consumers” from higher prices. “Consumers are still seeing -for- pricing,” she said

AI, how midcentury modern? Wayfair is also anticipating changes generative AI might make to shopping habits

It’s partnering with some major AI viders on agentic shopping tools, Gulr said

And it’s added GenAI features to its website and app that show customers how furniture might look in different spaces within a , alongside recommendations for similar Wayfair ducts. “It’s a fun way to capitalize on how consumers might be changing how they shop,” Gulr said

At the same time, the retailer’s made a surprisingly analog move: opening brick-and-mortar stores

Its Chicago store has resulted in a “halo” effect, boosting sales and brand recognition in the Chicago area, Shah said on an earnings call

Three more physical stores are planned in the coming years

As a Wayfair shopper and design fan herself (“That is the thing I read in my spare time”), Gulr understands what consumers are looking for

But even her broad remit, she acknowledges, only goes so far. “I’m always going to the brand team or the merchant team” and asking, ‘Have we thought getting this duct?’,” she said. “And they’re , ‘Kate, stay in your lane.’” This report was originally published by CFO Brew.Introducing the 2025 Fortune Global 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in the world

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