At Home Names Former CFO Judd Nystrom as Chief Executive

By Tom Whitfield

At Home appointed Judd Nystrom chief executive officer effective Sunday, according to the home retailer’s Tuesday press release. Nystrom previously served as At Home’s CFO from 2013 to 2018, when he helped with the company’s initial public offering.

The appointment follows Brad Weston’s retirement as CEO in July. Weston had stewarded the retailer through bankruptcy in 2025, while Nystrom has served as an independent director since December 2025 and chairs its audit and risk management committee.

Why did At Home choose Nystrom?

At Home framed the appointment around company familiarity and financial discipline. Executive chairman John Eck said:

“Judd combines deep familiarity with At Home, strong financial discipline and a commitment to developing people. He understands the work underway and the opportunity ahead.”

“We are confident he is the right leader to partner with the At Home team to drive brand growth across stores and digital, modernize our supply chain, and deliver a more inspiring, differentiated and rewarding customer experience.”

Nystrom most recently served as CFO of Caliber, the automotive repair and services company, through February. At Home also said he previously sat on the board of children’s toy brand Melissa & Doug and has financial retail experience at Best Buy and Advance Auto Parts.

His prior IPO work and current audit committee role provide context for Eck’s emphasis on financial discipline. The return also keeps a former operator in the top job after a leadership change tied to bankruptcy.

What does Aaron Rose retain?

At Home said Aaron Rose will continue as president and chief commercial officer, a role to which he was promoted in May. His remit covers:

• Merchandising and marketing
• E-commerce and planning
• Supply chain
• Stores and other commercial responsibilities

Under Rose’s leadership during the past few months, At Home relaunched its loyalty program and accelerated what the company calls its “assortment reinvention.” The company disclosed no change to Rose’s remit, leaving merchandising and store execution with the same executive while Nystrom takes the CEO role.

What is driving furniture demand?

Telsey Advisory Group’s 2026 research holiday note, issued last month, found that furniture demand picked up through the year despite a difficult housing sales market. The analysts said much of the recovery comes from affluent consumers, creating a potential benefit for higher-end brands.

“These customers have been reengaging with home products and updating their homes,” the analysts said. “Several home furnishings retailers also stepped up their merchandising initiatives, including exclusive collaborations, new collections, product extensions, store refreshes, and new store growth, which is yielding results.”

For At Home, the demand mix supports an emphasis on differentiated products and stronger store and digital execution. That matches Eck’s stated goals of brand growth, supply chain modernization and a “more inspiring, differentiated and rewarding customer experience.”

The retailer’s recent assortment work, loyalty relaunch and expanded merchandising response now sit inside that favorable category backdrop. Telsey’s finding covered several home furnishings retailers, not a quantified At Home result.

For retail partners and suppliers, the next checkpoints are At Home’s work across stores and digital, supply chain modernization and the assortment changes accelerated under Rose. Those measures will show whether a familiar financial executive can convert the reported category recovery into durable growth.