Cara Allard Email & Phone Number

• Lead brand strategy, portfolio management and new product development of $56M CPG product portfolio (2.5k SKUs)
• Strategized product line, new product development and brand expansion opportunities to a broad channel base such as eCommerce, Food & Drug, National Retail, Regional Retail, Hardware Wholesale and Farm/Ranch
• Assisted sales in product line reviews and presenting to key accounts such as Wal-Mart, Kroger, Menard's, True Value, BJ's Wholesale, Dollar General, Family Dollar, CVS, Publix, and Aldi
• Cultivated own brands such as Bulldog Hardware and Helping Hand along with private label programs like Mainstays, Better Homes & Garden, Hyper Tough, ProEssentials and Everyday Essentials
• Spearheaded full product lifecycle from conception to product commercialization in efforts to meet revenue margin targets
• Executed annual strategy plans by category and brand through competitive positioning by understanding domestic and global landscape and identifying trends and differentiators

• Managed and marketed the scrub apparel line of over 15k SKUs with annual sales over $50M
• Handled full product life cycle process including marketing, new product development, sales support and financial growth for the fashion and OR scrub apparel product lines while optimizing profit and meeting overall.
• Coordinated with a cross functional team in Manufacturing, Purchasing, and Engineering to reduce cost of goods by assessing packaging, alternate materials, new sources of material, custom build garments, direct to.
• Lead tracking, analysis, and execution of innovative marketing tactics for retail product launches such as a fashion scrub line exclusive to Target Brands, Inc.
• Analyzed sales trends and impact of competitive strategies while supporting forecasts and budgets with appropriately detailed marketing plans
• Conducted effective market research, product testing and evaluation to translate results into new products, product improvements and line consolidations or extensions

Vernon Hills, IL

Greater Chicago Area

Peoria, Illinois Area