Retail Sales Expert
Resume:
Kristin Peterson
Indianapolis, IN 46205
***********@*****.***
Summary
• Experienced and skilled buyer, sales person and retail operations director with a track record of significant achievement, including reducing costs, improving sales and profits, developing and improving purchasing programs to meet corporate objectives, and hiring, managing and motivating top talent.
• Skilled at maintaining and evaluating financial records, performing profit analysis, forecasting, open-to-buy, and developing, implementing and monitoring budgets.
• Expert at planning events, including trade shows, offsite sales events, press parties, galas, tourism expos, artist demos and more. Experienced at both attending and exhibiting at trade shows and creating wholesale programs.
• Adept at negotiating with vendors for best possible discounts and terms, seeking out and maintaining relationships with vendors, and identifying retail trends before they hit the market.
• Experienced and savvy at visual-merchandising and store layouts, as well as managing the buying plans and build-outs for new retail locations.
• Knowledgeable about online retail sales and marketing, maintaining e-commerce websites, and creating email sales campaigns and promotions. Experienced with developing marketing plans that include print and direct mail campaigns.
Career History and Accomplishments
Director of Retail Operations/Head Buyer Indiana State Museum Foundation
Indianapolis, Indiana October 2007 – October 2009
• Direct and led the purchasing efforts for the retail operations at the Indiana State Museum, including three stores in the main facility, various seasonal stores, and three offsite locations, including an airport location and the store at the White River State Park Visitor’s Center.
• Manage e-commerce website and all other marketing initiatives, including direct mail and print.
• Upon hire, immediately began planning for new processes and procedures to streamline the operations of all of the sites to increase communication and harness buying power, resulting in higher profit margins and the utilization of cross promotional opportunities.
• Developed, sourced and promoted new merchandise unique to each location, resulting in incremental sales and a whole new profit center through the creation of a wholesale program marketed to retail locations regionally and nationally.
• Forged a relationship with Indiana Artisan, a state-funded program that supports and promotes Hoosier artisans and handmade products. By developing relationships with key players, I secured the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites a contract as the official retail outlet for the juried products. Also closed a deal with them that secured the museum a $60,000 contract for managing their web presence.
• Planned events, including a 2,500 square ft. store at the FFA Convention each year, booths at various holiday shows, and presences at multiple other offsite events.
• Successfully recruited, managed and developed a professional staff of 10, including managers, supervisors and sales associates.
• Increased profit margin by 40% in the first year of employment through inventory control, staffing reductions and new purchasing processes.
• Worked closely with top executives of the corporation and marketing personnel to create branded merchandise for direct mail catalogs, dealerships, and Chrysler.com, Jeep.com, and Dodge.com. Designed, sourced and oversaw the production of thousands of new items each season, including apparel, accessories, house goods, automotive accessories, toys and more.
Manager/Buyer – Heritage Branded Goods DaimlerChrysler
Auburn Hills, Michigan February 2005- October 2007
• Worked closely with top executives of the corporation and marketing personnel to create branded merchandise for direct mail catalogs, dealerships, and Chrysler.com, Jeep.com, and Dodge.com. Designed, sourced and oversaw the production of thousands of new items each season, including apparel, accessories, house goods, automotive accessories, toys and more.
• Created the corporation’s Chrysler Design Gallery, an exclusive offering of original artwork and renderings from the Chrysler Design Office, generating over .25 million in pure profit through the sale of pieces that had previously been considered trash.
• Managed the production of the museum’s first commissioned piece of collector’s die cast, a 1:18 scale piece, including researching and choosing a manufacturer in China, overseeing the package design, writing and implementing a marketing plan, and successfully turning around the quarter-million dollar investment through retail and wholesale outlets.
• Managed the corporate museum’s retail and guest services operations. Recruited and managed a staff of over 250 volunteers to staff the museum store, admissions desk and offsite events. .
• Planned 50+ events for the company, including presences at car shows throughout the nation, press events, tourism shows, and the North American International Auto Show.
• Increased total sales by 20% and the annual profit margin by 10%.
Retail and Guest Services Manager Flint Cultural Center
Flint, Michigan September 2001 – February 2005
• Began at the Sloan Museum as Museum Store Manager, and was promoted to Retail and Guest Services Manager in 2004, overseeing all retail and guest services operations for the Flint Cultural Center, including the museum, a planetarium and a theater.
• Set department policies and procedures to support the organization’s mission, vision and strategic plan.
• Hired, trained, and motivated guest services and retail staff, including writing job descriptions, interviewing candidates and conducting annual performance appraisals. Managed 4 supervisors and 20+ sales and guest service agents.
• Negotiated contract with the Buick Club of America to be the official merchandise source for their organization, resulting in $150,000 in additional sales for the museum each year. Worked closely with local representatives to coordinate the Buick Centennial Celebration, which drew over 50,000 people to the museum and generated over a million dollars in revenue.
• Planned 10+ events each year, marketing the museum at car shows and tourism events throughout the year.
• Exceeded sales projections each year of employment, increased total sales by 30%, and increased profit margins by 15%.
Store Manager and Buyer The Paper Place and Doll Place
Grand Haven, Michigan March 1997 – January 2001
• Managed all aspects of the daily operations of this upscale stationery and gift shop, including purchasing all store inventory, hiring and training staff, maintaining accurate inventory, compiling monthly sales reports, working with outside advertising agencies on store promotions, and designing visually appealing store displays.
• Increased total sales by 20% and profit margin by 30%.
Related Qualifications and Education
• Grand Haven High School, graduated with honors
• University of Michigan 2000-2002 – studied Business Administration
• Member, Museum Store Association, National Retail Federation, American Purchasing Society
• Board Member and Chairman of the Flint, Michigan Sesquicentennial Commission’s merchandising committee
• Board Member, Indiana Artisan
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