Cara Pucel Email & Phone Number

Maple Grove, Mn, Us

Edina, Minnesota, United States

Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States

Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTa. Collaborate with VP of PD and Designer to plan and develop new products for inline, SMU & Collaborations.b. Research trends, perform market research.c. Source new materials & help facilitate initial purchasing between DR & China.d. Manage all aspects of samples from first prototypes to final production confirmation. e. Manage full lifecycle of each product from initial concept to final delivery.f. Provide category analysis each season.g. Attend tradeshows as necessary.PRODUCTION MANAGEMENTa. Manage calendar to insure timely turnover of development, confirmation & final production.b. Generate and manage production orders, specs and account specific packaging requirements.c. Manage customer sampling requirements.d. Create PO templates, write and send production orders to factory e. Manage quality control for confirmation samples and production.f. Ensure product testing has been requested (ie: CPSIA/Prop 65).g. Monitor production schedule for SMU product to ensure on-time deliveries.COMMUNICATIONa. Work with PD team to strategically plan for each season.b. Collaborate with Sales, Marketing & Ecomm teams throughout product lifecycle.c. Correspond daily, working closely with factory team on all aspects of product development and production. PROBLEM SOLVINGa. Work with PD team and factories to determine best solutions for new development.b. Engineer products to work within pricing parameters.c. Troubleshoot production and delivery issues.d. Effectively manages time and ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines.e. Delegate projects and retain assistance as needed.BRAND COLLABORATION DEVELOPED• Rebecca Minkoff• Hello Kitty• Mother Denim• Opening Ceremony• Duluth Pack• Free Range Mama• Sleepy Jones• SoulCycle• Moko Kobayashi• A Beautiful Mess• Maje• Me To We

Plymouth, Mn

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT* Create and manage $80M product assortment for private label apparel brand and oversee merchandise strategy to ensure performance to plan and corporate strategic vision is executed* Monitor all details of product execution from initial concept thru production by managing fabric/trim selection and approvals, specification packages and garment fit to ensure desired product details and quality standards are met* Communicate with domestic and international vendors to effectively negotiate costs, source fabrics to meet specific quality standards and value price points and resolve all product issues* Negotiate best product pricing based on expertise of fabric and garment manufacturing to achieve desired mark-ups* Optimize best sellers and advantageous fabrics to lower production costs, increase sales & maximize bottom line* Establish and maintain strong relationships with domestic and international vendor partners* Produce specification packages in PLM program for accurate communication to vendors regarding product details* Develop and manage department Assistant & Associate Buyers & lead multi-member cross-functional teamsSTRATEGIC PLANNING & ANALYSIS* Collaborate with planning team to manage and monitor $80M departmental open to buy that supports strategy for assigned category sales, product flow, markdowns/promotions, gross margin and inventory turn* Analyze historical business and merchandise performance to create seasonal strategies & identify category growth opportunities* Partner with key vendors to offer contingency planning in core programs to shorten lead-time, support increased profitability and maintain desired inventory levels

Plymouth, Mn

Plymouth, Mn

Inver Grove Heights

Bachelor Of Science Degree, Apparel Design & Development

Activities and Societies: UW-Stout Retail Association (SRA), UW-Stout Apparel Society (SAS)Double Concentration in Design and Development

Education record