Buyer. Product Development mgr

ROBERT E. SLAW

**** ** *********** *****.

Blue Springs. Mo.

Email: *******@***.***

Cell: 678-***-****

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

AWARD WINNING BUYER WITH TWENTY YEARS OF EXPERTISE IN BUYING, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND SOURCING ALL MEN’S APPAREL CLASSIFICATIONS.

PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF PRODUCING RESULTS

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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

MEIJER SUPERSTORES, Grand Rapids, MI

Men’s and Young Men’s Sportswear Buyer and Sourcing manager 2006-Nov.2011

5 years of consecutive growth in Sales, Margin and turn, by the development of many incremental product programs and tight inventory control to maximize ROI.

• Successfully worked with a four member cross functional team and provided leadership and strategic direction to the team in assortment planning and financial plans.

• Built and managed seasonal category plans to meet financial goals.

• Traveled extensively overseas and formed Strategic partnerships with Li and Fung factories overseas to reduce costing and increase efficiency.

• Increased private label penetration from 40 to 65% to dramatically increase profitability.

• Achieved one of the largest growths in sales and margin in Soft lines over a five year period.

• Meijer is a $15 billion dollar big box retailer with 200 stores in the upper Midwest.

K & G SUPERSTORES – Off price division of the Men’s Warehouse, Atlanta GA

Men’s Sportswear Buyer 2004 to 2006

• Responsible for the buying and profitability of all Men’s Knits Woven’s, Sweaters, Big & Tall and Activewear..

• Volume responsibility of $45 million.

• Identified striped woven Sportshirts as a key item and had a $4 million dollar increase in 6 months.

• Increased initial markup by 5 percentage points over last year thru negotiation with all vendors and suppliers.

• Developed all merchandise assortments and financial plans.

• Conducted gross margin and vendor profitability analysis.

• Provided merchandise direction, including key item presentations and flow of goods to the stores.

• Achieved the largest category growth in the company of 10% over plan.

• Guided the development and execution of National Brands, Proprietary Brands and Private Label.

• Successfully managed key item and trend development within assortment plans.

• Identified new opportunities / negotiated costing and timeline with vendors meeting strict deadlines.

• Ensuring product volumes and flow is optimized in order to achieve sales objectives.

GOODY’S FAMILY CLOTHING, Knoxville, TN

Young Men’s Brand Manager 2001 to 2004

• Responsible for private label development and sourcing of all Young Men’s Sportswear and Men’s Activewear, Swimwear, Denim and Loungewear.

• Volume responsibility of $65 million.

• Lowered average cost in private label by 20% first year without sacrificing quality by redirecting sourcing.

• Tightly focused merchandise selection to target customer and as a result for the last 18 months the area was running 42% comp ahead of last year and up 25% in gross margin dollars as the best business in the company.

• Promoted in January with additional responsibility to oversee the sourcing of all boys and girls apparel.

CHADWICKS OF BOSTON, West Bridgewater, MA

Men’s Product Manager 1999 to 2001

• Acquired extensive experience administering all Menswear classifications, creating concepts, planning assortments, product development, sourcing and private label programs with a volume responsibility of $45 million.

• Negotiated and managed pricing, quality, production, fulfillment and quality control.

THE SPORTSMAN’S GUIDE, St. Paul, MN

Buyer - Men’s Apparel 1998 to 1999

• Extensive experience in the selection and buying of off price apparel and product development and direct importing of Private label apparel.

• Increased direct import program from 5% to 35% of business and increased overall profit margin $1.5 million in one year.

• Maintained a sales volume of $25 million.

EDISON BROTHERS STORES, INC., St. Louis, MO

Senior National Buyer, Sourcing manager- Four Divisions 1989 to 1998

• Achieved significant seven-figure improvements in profit for 900 stores.

• Specialized in the selection, quality assurance, delivery, product development and margins associated with Outerwear, Bottoms, Woven’s and Knitwear.

• Traveled extensively to Asia, India and Europe to select products, negotiate contracts and over a factory production.

• Bought exclusively for the Zeidler and Zeidler Division of Edison Bros which was an upscale Fashion Clothing / Leather / Sportswear driven Specialty store.

• Successfully maintained double digit comp increases.

ALEXANDER’S DEPARTMENT STORES, New York, NY

Senior Buyer 1982 to 1989

• Responsible for men’s Knitwear, Young Men’s fashions and Men’s Bottoms.

• Increased business to $34 million with second highest gross margin percent increase in company.

EDUCATION

BERNARD M. BARUCH COLLEGE OF NEW YORK B.B.A. New York, New York

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