Buying

Ashlea Martin

*** ************* ****. *****, ** *5002 ٠ 512-***-**** ٠ ******.******@*****.***

Objective

Highly energetic and proven merchant with over ten years in the Retail Industry, eight of those, specifically in Merchandising. Looking not only to contribute my current merchandising skills but continue to develop my competencies within different brand management positions.

Qualifications

• Inventory Management • Trend and Competitive Analysis • Product Development

• Key Item Planning • Promotional Price Planning • Efficient in Excel

• Cost Reduction • Vendor Relations/Collaborations • Store Allocation

Professional Synopsis

At Home, Plano, Texas

Associate Buyer (August 2020 – Present)

Manages a rapidly growing business that focuses on Home Fragrance and corresponding Décor Categories by increasing Comp Sales by over 40% from last year all while increasing profit.

Works closely with cross functional teams throughout the company to execute department vision as well as working with overseas factories, local fragrance houses and domestic partners to curate a diverse, meaningful assortment that will entice the customer.

Maintains open communication with Buyer to bounce off ideas and ultimately have clearance to make decisions for my business.

Works closely with assistant to communicate vision and have proper execution as well as train and develop their merchandising knowledge and eventually get to next position.

Assistant Buyer (January 2019 – August 2020)

Assisted the Wall Décor Buyer by taking her high-level business strategies and managing the execution of over 70% of Total Wall Décor Volume

Maintained a detailed Assortment Sheet (Item Forecast Tool) for Wall Art and identify issues and recommended solutions to the buyer

Worked with the Buyer and the entire cross functional team to execute a long overdue Wall Décor Refresh for Spring FY22 by creating lifestyles for easy shopping and ultimately improving sales

Constantly communicated closely with suppliers and looked outside the company to identify product white space and staying informed with upcoming trends in the marketplace with little to no product development assistance

Actively worked with Divisional Manager, Merchandise Operations, and IT to identify errors with the Purchase Order Worksheet and worked towards short- and long-term solutions to keep up with the growth and demand of At Home.

JCPenney, Plano, Texas

Sr. Assistant Buyer (October 2017 – December 2018)

Assisted Women’s Career Buyer by taking their high-level business strategies for total Modern Bottoms and effectively assisted in the growth of Private Brand Suiting by 10% with inventory flat and forecasted up $3 million in profit for 2018

Communicated directly with the Designers, Sourcing Team, Vendors, and International Business Office to curate profitable product and build assortments for Modern Suiting

Created strategies for life of items from purchase to markdown. Reviewed sales performance and made recommendations to adjust in season and/or future plans

Maintained detailed assortment plans for Private Brand Suiting and practiced exception-based management, identifying issues and recommending solutions to the buyer.

Cultivated relationships and negotiated with vendors/suppliers to provide the customer with the best value while improving JCPenney profit

Created and maintained orders to deliver goods on time.

Business Analyst (October 2016 – October 2017)

Allocated merchandise at a SKU level to 800+ stores within a timely manner all while considering merchant intent and store need

Worked with Planning and Merchandise Team to review and challenge assortment flow

Ensured stores and eCommerce channels maintained optimal inventory levels and presentation standards were met to drive sales, in-stock levels and ultimately service the customer.

Assistant Buyer (February 2014 – October 2016)

Assisted Women’s Casual Buyer in the execution of all related merchandising activities including creating and placing merchandise orders, monitoring, and tracking on order details, and communicating any order revision to suppliers

Monitored competitor merchandising and shared findings with stakeholders

Acted as a liaison for entire Merchandise Action Team relating to marketing, pricing, signing, and store environment.

Merchandise Assistant (May 2013 – February 2014)

Managed all JCPenney.com furniture photography needs by partnering with vendors, Delivery Team and Marketing to style and shoot merchandise before the assigned on-site date

Partnered with cross-functional team members including Planning and Allocation, Copy, Site Merchandisers, Merchants and Sourcing to improve the JCPenney site

Assisted Buying Team with preparation of samples and sales reports to prepare for Market Visits, Line Reviews, and Sales/Open to Buy Meetings.

Michael Kors, San Marcos/Allen, Texas

Sales Supervisor (April 2010- May 2013)

Managed all aspects of Store Operations including HR, recruiting, scheduling, pricing/signing, loss prevention and sales audits

Implemented Visual Merchandising concepts in a timely manner in partnership with Store Manager

Coached a team of 20 Sales Associates daily involving customer service, product knowledge, inventory shrink and visual Merchandising

Maintained a productive Back-Stock Team with experience in cost/retails, inventory, and promotional events.

Education

Texas State University (San Marcos, Texas)

B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences

Major: Fashion Merchandising

Minor: Business Administration

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