Visual Merchandiser Customer Service

JONATHAN McDOWELL

** ******* ******, ***. *** 813-***-****

New York, NY 10038 Visual Merchandiser ********************@*******.***

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Dynamic, creative visual style professional recognized by merchandising directors for consistently designing and implementing imaginative visual appeal presentations to heighten aesthetic ambience, product visibility, enhance brand and drive sales.

• Strategic thinker with a strong spatial awareness and sharp eye for detail. Strategically arrange sales floors based on sales data, seasons, inventory, and consumer trends.

• Create a memorable shopping atmosphere, consequently maximizing customer satisfaction, revenue and referrals.

• Support merchandising staff in implementing visual displays, floor sets and selling floor appearance to showcase products.

• Demonstrate continual improvement in lighting design, signage, product placement, showcasing and styling of window and in-store displays.

• Exhibit consistency in creatively interpreting visual merchandising guidelines while adhering to corporate guidelines.

• Work closely with merchandising team to position promotional kiosks and POS displays to increase spontaneous and psychological buys, particularly where accessorizing presents up-selling and cross-selling opportunities.

• Ensure that all merchandising requirements are met including resets, zone recovery, freight flow, inventory replenishment, price integrity, promotional and seasonal display setups, signage, collateral product literature, floor moves, shrinkage protocols, and general housekeeping.

• Monitor retail and design industry trends and forecasts by attending “Market Week/NY NOW.”

• Direct, motivate, mentor, and incentivize staff, particularly new hires by familiarizing them with brand philosophy and vision.

• Proficient in MS Word and Excel, and proprietary floor planning software.

CAREER DISTINCTIONS

• Invited by visual presentation directors to develop major seasonal and new product launch displays to be handed over to branch stores.

• Frequently consulted by managers in other departments throughout the store to achieve common objectives, especially new product launches.

• Relied upon to share styling acumen with colleagues and counterparts at various stores throughout brand network.

• Chosen to train and coach new visual merchandisers in creative, technical and operational initiatives.

• Recognized for enhanced window installation skills demonstrated by employing meticulous attention to detail, artistic craftsmanship, styling, product focus, showcasing and placement.

LEADERSHIP & EXPERIENCE

Banana Republic, Rockefeller Center Flagship Store New York, NY

Visual Merchandiser/Service Experience Leader 3/2022-Present

• Assume ambassadorship with hospitality mindset; create memorable connections to accommodate customers’ lifestyle needs.

• Engage in the most critical role in store responsible for driving consumer experience, team performance, optimizing sales, and maximizing the delivery of consistent financial results.

• Create environment that invokes a relaxed enjoyable shopping destination and floor sets that represent seasonal stylish trends.

• Ensure overall store productivity focusing on the big picture; manage details, and assess situations to make right decision.

• Assign and lead the team; oversee all activity on sales floor, fitting room, stockroom and cashwrap.

• Effectively supervise the floor ensuring the whole team is providing the highest level of courteous, accommodating customer service while maintaining business standards and profitability, and upholding policies.

• Keep abreast of customer traffic count, conversion rate percentage, units per transaction and sales over traffic count.

• Inspire and motivate the team, handle concerns, direct, coach and train them to meet customer needs and exceed expectations.

• Deploy/redeploy team to best support their individual strengths and the customer experience.

• Drive sales by coaching associates to encourage customers to enroll in loyalty membership and open store credit cards.

• Manage business tracker, ensuring associates are fully apprised on new product knowledge.

• Within a 3-week timeline, plan placement of the old and new style collections, map out launch, establish staff schedule, roles and responsibilities, ensure inventory availability, and present plans to District Manager and General Manager.

• Mix and match outfits, curate wardrobes for customers and TV/film costume dressers by choosing the clothes for their projects. Most recent TV shows: Straight Shooter on Netflix, Succession on HBO, Today Show on NBC and SNL on NBC.

Raymour and Flanigan Brooklyn, NY

Visual Merchandiser/Key Holder 8/2016-3/2022

• As the only visual merchandiser in store, collaborated with corporate VM Manager to develop strategies for retail and visual operations to maximize profitability by improving store ambience and persuasively display furniture and complementary home goods. Coordinated with other visual merchandisers and operations departments to execute strategies and develop presentations to increase sales through visual impact. Worked with marketing team to develop merchandising signage.

JONATHAN McDOWELL page 2

• Served 3 progressively larger stores, each with more square footage and greater merchandising budget, recently designed 32,000 sq. ft. in a 16 million sq. ft. store. Altered floor plan-o-gram based on merchandise movement, promotional and seasonal sales.

• Monitored competitors’ visual merchandising strategies and presentations; conducted competitive analysis.

• Designed in-store displays to facilitate sales objectives, ensuring milestones and goals were met and complied with budget.

• Provided input to training programs that help furniture consultants and other store employees maintain visual standards.

• Managed a team of 4 warehouse workers; delegated/coordinated their assignments including building and ordering furniture.

• Scheduled projects and organized all phases to ensure timely completion.

• Carried out all other responsibilities similar to those listed below.

Macy’s, Inc. Staten Island, NY

Visual Merchandiser 2/2013-2/2016

• Worked closely with merchandising manager providing assistance and support in the merchandising of six primary departments. Communicated customer feedback, identified best sellers, key items, consumer purchasing trends and made recommendations to improve services, merchandise selection and visual display effectiveness. Accompanied regional, store, department, security, visual and merchandising managers on walk-throughs to assess visual impact of displays, effectiveness of floor sets, loss exposure and prevention.

• Participated in daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly store planning meetings discussing floor plans, displays, foot traffic, upcoming events such as fashion shows, trunk shows, special product line launches, cooking demos, and product shortages. Provided input on issues related to merchandise, marketing, sales, and customer service. Monitored inventory on sales floor.

• Collaborated with visual manager to ensure that visual presentation standards were consistent with company philosophy and direction and that all displays and products were thoroughly understood by sales associates and management. Successfully achieved visual presentation goals and deadlines with and without supervision inside a fast-paced, results-driven environment with varied responsibilities across all departments. Primarily focused on merchandising 41K sq. ft. Men’s Department with $22M in annual revenue, followed by 60K sq. ft Ready-to-Wear with $26M annual revenue.

• Accomplished goals by identifying best sellers and key items, creating merchandise presentations, seasonal fashion trend statements, three-dimensional visual displays, window presentations, and decorating for promotional events, corporate shop concepts and prototypes.

• Assisted with analysis of floor plans, diagrams, merchandising reports, and reviewed business results in order to take appropriate action to capitalize on business strengths and impact deficiencies.

• Reinforced the accuracy of merchandising standards and techniques, merchandise placement, and proper fixture utilization, ensuring that policies and procedures were implemented based on company standards with all levels or store management, sales and support teams.

• Partnered with visual managers on recommending talent, recruitment and the selection of qualified visual associates.

• Maintained the workshop and prop staging area in neat, organized state with appropriate levels of supplies, props and signage.

• Collaborated with other metropolitan area Macy’s visual merchandisers with new store openings and current store refreshers.

American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie New York, NY

Visual Merchandiser at Flagship & Concept Store (part-time) 8/2014-2/2015

• Collaborated with HQ to deliver stunning fashion-forward window presentations and floor plans reflecting 32 designs; also participated in display refreshers at 9 metro area stores.

• Hosted celebrity clients such as Bill Clinton, Ne-Yo, Lisa Leslie, Miley Cyrus and Adrian Grenier.

American Girl Place, Mattel Corp. New York, NY

Visual Merchandiser at Flagship Store 8/2008-6/2013

• Engaged creative flair, technical skill and retail knowledge to create eye-catching aesthetic displays and vignettes, optimize customer experience and advance brand development in the product placement of unique dolls, clothing, furniture, and related merchandise. Advised VM director in developing the overall store space, floor sets, lighting design and seasonal themes.

• Styled and staged photoshoot backgrounds for magazine features in Marie Claire, Eltern and Grand Gourmet.

Ethan Allen, Inc. Queens, NY

Visual Merchandiser/Key Holder 2/2004-7/2006

• Chosen as showroom team lead to update design and formulate brand-appropriate strategies to support key business initiatives and create an inviting floor set atmosphere conveying comfort and coziness customers could envision in their own homes.

• Managed a $4 million inventory through periodic audits and organization/updating of stockroom and other storage facilities.

EDUCATION

Parsons School of Design - New York, NY Major: Interior Design/Set Design. Completed 3 years in pursuit of a B.F.A.

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