Visual Merchandising & Retail Merchandising Leader

SHONTAE PARHAM

215-***-**** • *********@*****.***

DETAIL-ORIENTED SENIOR VISUAL MERCHANDISING MANAGER

Design Strategist • Merchandising Consultant • Store Manager • Merchandising Manager

Brand Storytelling • Merchandising Strategy • Creative Direction • Trend Forecasting & Analysis

Elevated Brand Awareness • Created Campaigns • Conducted Research • Led Merchandising Promoted Multiple Times • Non-Profit Board Member • Dress For Success and Personal Shopper

WORK EXPERIENCE

Living Spaces

Visual Merchandising Leader 2023–Present

● Managed and coordinated daily store appearance across a 105,000 sq. ft. showroom, ensuring consistent execution of visual presentation standards, brand guidelines, and merchandising priorities aligned with business needs.

● Analyzed store performance and visual effectiveness using KPIs including sales per square foot, conversion rate, average ticket, attachment rate, and margin, driving a 6–10% increase in sales per square foot and a 4–7% lift in conversion.

● Developed showroom layouts, themes, color stories, and product groupings to support promotional strategies and featured assortments, contributing to a 5–8% sales lift in key categories.

● Proposed and executed merchandise placement strategies in partnership with sales and operations leadership to align product presentation with customer demand and advertising initiatives.

● Managed, trained, and coached 50+ associates, improving visual execution, leadership capability, and operational consistency while increasing visual compliance and audit results by 10–15%.

● Collaborated cross-functionally with leadership teams to support major floor moves, resets, and new product launches, delivering mid-to-high six-figure annual sales impact.

● Led large-scale merchandising projects within labor and timeline targets, reducing execution time by 15% while maintaining customer experience and sales momentum.

Hallmark, Inc.; Kansas, MO 2022 - present

Visual Merchandising Manager

●Achieved a goal of 90% project completion ending at 97% out of 191 projects by managing KPI HO metric contribution to the successful end-of-year projects delivered on time.

●Led 3 Visual Designers, 2 Graphic Designers, and 1 Program Designer ensuring all projects were on time and all lines of communication were consistent and up to company standards.

●Contributed to a successful 2022 Atlanta Trade show by executing multiple floor display implementations throughout 100,000 sq. ft. showroom for buyers and independent owners.

●Ensured all visual designers and graphic designers were working within the allotted timeline given while staying brand-appropriate.

●Spearheaded the development of renderings, graphic/marketing, and store directives for any implementation of seasonal campaigns and new projects.

●Conducted frequent market tours to ensure all projects were on trend while staying brand appropriate to help increase sales.

Target; Philadelphia, PA 2020 - 2022

Visual Merchandising Manager

●Executed the brand's visual merchandising strategies, visual standards, and non-planogram in-store marketing implantations across all pertinent areas of the store.

●Partnered with store department managers to plan, support, and validate the execution of all visual merchandising guide sets in the store.

●Contributed to sales goals, while planning and executing daily/weekly workload to deliver on visual merchandising transitions, events, and promotions.

●Influenced all store department managers, style consultants, and general merchandise experts to be knowledgeable about all visual merchandising and visual standards.

●Supported team members onboarding by continuously keeping an eye on skill gaps through training, influencing, and hands-on merchandising maintenance.

Primark USA; King of Prussia, PA 2015 - 2020

Assistant Store Manager 2018 - 2020

●Co-managed 8 department managers, 13 supervisors, and 6 visual merchandisers, and supervised up to 200 sales associates to maximize performance and productivity.

●Coached all department managers with their staff planners and commercial reports/routines.

●Conducted annual bi-quarterly and yearly development appraisals to enrich work performances by identifying areas of opportunities for managers, visual merchandising team, and sales team.

●Directed daily huddles and weekly team-building activities for any internal company information to ensure everyone stayed up to date with the most recent company news.

●Audited product buy-ins while making sure stock amounts didn't exceed the business needs.

●Analyzed store demographics and sales trends to help determine price positioning, product placement, and floor/window changes as well as any updates that were needed.

●Championed all EHS policies and procedures by creating a safe work environment.

Visual Merchandising Manager 2015 - 2018

●Oversaw all visual concepts throughout an 82,000 sq ft retail space while partnering with the store managers across various departments in merchandise execution, standards, and pricing.

●Conducted training sessions for 7 Visual Merchandisers, 30 Supervisors, and up to 200 Retail Associates on all trend concepts, fixture utilization, flow changes, and marketing installations.

●Launched the company's second flagship store in the US - Philadelphia, PA / Staten Island, NY / and Brooklyn, NY, generating brand awareness to consumers while achieving profitability.

●Supported store openings in Staten Island, NY and redesigns in Freehold NJ, and Danbury, CT.

●Trained and developed visual merchandising team, to brand standards, commerciality, company priorities, and how to understand current trends; managed all mannequin maintenance.

●Supervised digital maintenance and updates for seasonal and all campaign rollouts.

Banana Republic; Philadelphia, PA 2014 - 2015

Customer Experience Manager

●Directed 70 retail associates and co-managed 4 junior associates optimizing development.

●Supported Visual Merchandising/Promotional Merchandising team by implementing product placement, market, and promotional strategies.

●Monitored sales to ensure labor was maximizing productivity while optimizing sales goals.

●Reduced in-store shrinkage activity through education, awareness, and compliance.

●Ensured the highest quality store experience for external and internal customers.

Prior Experience: Zara, Regional Visual Merchandiser

EDUCATION

The Art Institute of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Associate of Arts, Apparel & Design

TECHNOLOGIES & VOLUNTEERISM

Technologies: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook

Volunteerism: Dress For Success, Personal Shopper & Closet Organizer; The Center of Empowerment for Women and Girls, Marketing & Social Media Strategist

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