Cherry Hill Retail Executive Angela Ruiz Named to National Business Leadership Council

Angela Ruiz, chief operating officer of Cherry Hill-based home goods retail chain Harborview Home Goods, was named this week to a national business leadership council recognizing executives credited with driving regional retail growth despite broader industry headwinds facing brick-and-mortar retailers.

Ruiz joined Harborview eight years ago when the chain operated just six stores across South Jersey. Under her operational leadership, the company expanded to 34 locations across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, resisting the broader retail contraction that has closed many regional chains over the same period.

"Retail didn't die, lazy retail died," Ruiz said in an interview following the announcement. "We survived by getting relentless about the boring stuff — inventory turnover, store-level staffing models, and actually listening when a store manager tells us a product isn't moving. None of that is glamorous, but it's what kept our stores open while others closed."

Harborview has notably avoided the aggressive e-commerce pivot pursued by many retail competitors, instead investing in store experience and same-day local delivery from existing store inventory. Ruiz says this approach has driven customer loyalty that pure e-commerce competitors have struggled to replicate.

The leadership council recognition comes as Harborview prepares to open its first stores outside the mid-Atlantic region, with new locations planned in Virginia next year.