Mark W. Garrett

**** ******** ***** **** *****:757-***-****

Chesapeake, Virginia 23321

MERCHANDISE MANAGER * BUYER * STORE MANAGER

PROFILE

Well-qualified Merchandise Manager/Buyer with over 20 years experience working in constantly changing environment demanding strong organizational, managerial, and interpersonal skills. Honest, dependable, loyal, self motivated team player. Professional strengths include:

* Financial Planning * Retail Buying * Building & Managing Loyal Teams

* Sales Forecasting & Budgeting * Sales Analysis * Customer relations

* Cost Control * Vendor Relations * Merchandise Distribution

* P & L Management * Product Merchandising * Inventory Replenishment

WORK HISTORY

Merchandise Manager / Vice President July 2001-June 2008 Stamor Corporation, dba FINE’S / Street Stuff, Norfolk, Virginia

Responsible for purchasing all young men’s fashion categories.

Supervised Buyers, Merchandisers, and Allocators.

Traveled into the market to view merchandise lines and attended trade shows.

Worked directly with company CEO and CFO to develop corporate financial plans.

Responsible for merchandise open to buy plans and coordinating them with corporate financial plans.

Reviewed all merchandise purchase orders to ensure proper quantities, merchandise mix, retail dollar amounts, and costs.

Worked directly with distribution center manager to ensure proper flow of merchandise to stores and from vendors.

Worked directly with visual merchandise department to ensure proper store layout, window displays, and signage.

Buyer May 1994-June 2001 FINE’S, Norfolk, Virginia

Responsible for open to buy planning, merchandising, and purchasing all tops and active categories, with annual retail sales volume totaling 12 million dollars, for a 50 store young men’s fashion retailer.

Responsible for open to buy planning, merchandising, and purchasing all bottoms, denim, and active categories, with annual retail sales volume totaling 9 million dollars.

Traveled into the market to view merchandise lines and attended trade shows.

Involved in private label product development.

Worked directly with other buyers to merchandise branded collections.

Worked directly with distribution center manager to ensure proper flow of merchandise to stores and from vendors.

Worked directly with visual merchandise department in planning store layouts and displays; merchandise allocation department in distributions; and store operations.

Merchandiser/Assistant Buyer October 1991-April 1994 FINE’S, Norfolk, Virginia

Assisted the young men’s bottoms and outerwear buyer.

Responsibilities included inputting and revising purchase orders, verification of receipts, distribution of merchandise, delegation of inter store transfers of merchandise to obtain maximum sell-through, recommendations of markdowns, and acted as liaison between the buyer and vendors.

Traveled into the market to view merchandise lines and attended trade shows.

Store Manager July 1984-September 1991 FINE’S, Norfolk, Virginia

Responsible for managing all activities necessary to effectively operate a young men’s fashion clothing store with annual sales in excess of 1 million dollars.

Activities included sales, inventory control, inventory presentation, personnel management and training, handling of company funds, and receiving and shipping merchandise.

Always increased sales over goal and maintained inventory shrinkage to less than 1%.

Selling Specialist/Head Catalog Service Assistant Feb. 1979-May 1984

J.C. Penney Co., Norfolk, Virginia

Assisted customers with placing and picking up catalog orders.

Received and stocked catalog orders.

Sold an assigned line of merchandise requiring specialized knowledge of fashion and fit.

Handled customer complaints, exchanges, refunds, and adjustments.

Maintained presentation standards, performed stock keeping tasks, and assisted in company training programs.

EDUCATION

City of Chesapeake Adult and Continuing Education: Sept. 2008-Dec. 2008

Microsoft Office 2003 Preview, A+ Certification / 601 Essentials

Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia May 1983

Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, Marketing Management

REFERENCES

Steven Carroll D.D.S., 414 Russell Street, Portsmouth, Virginia 23707 757-***-****

Charlie Baumgardner, 4112 Seaforth Road, Chesapeake, Virginia 23321 757-***-****

Thomas Horton, 4504 Greendell Road, Chesapeake, Virginia 23321 757-***-****

Mitchell Fine, 913 St. Gregory’s Way, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452 757-***-****

Mark Garrett page 2

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