Chris Caven Email & Phone Number

Toronto, On, Ca

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

▪︎ Developed a system-wide Visual Merchandising strategy for the Organization’s 200+ locations, including print signage, navigation, iconography, colour communication, product knowledge content, presented in conjunction with updated shelf-level product presentation determined by SKU level inventory contribution.▪︎ Sourced incremental floor fixture solutions to increase presentation breadth in all existing stores, allowing for a 15% increase in accessories assortment.▪︎ Designed/engineered the brands first Shop-in-shop environment required to launch retail partnership with Walmart; 50+ locations planned for first year of programme rollout.▪︎ Implemented GTM process map that aligned and integrated the needed marketing and in-store signage requirements to support key promotions and new product launch initiatives.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

▪︎ Lead the procurement of large format graphic element kits for Capital Spend projects on key accounts, with a focus on unique and differentiating product solutions that amplified to the consumer experience, in concert with driving down traditional retail development build costs, reducing lead times, and delivering customization more efficiently than the competition.▪︎ Collaborate extensively with Business Development, Print Manufacturing, and Creative Studio teams to develop solutions that are optimized for individual brand standards and style guide consideration of the client.▪︎ Develop strategic approaches to engaging potential clients on solutions that drive revenue growth, leveraging my extensive experience on the client side of retail industry, effectively evolving historical sell-in approaches.▪︎ Key accounts included Sobey’s, Foodland, FreshCo, Telus

Toronto, Canada Area

▪︎ Retail, hospitality, and health care Clients▪︎ Developed the end-to-end patient experience for an integrated walk-in clinic variant, containing multiple specialties, including an on-site pharmacy, leveraging key consumer/patient insights to deliver a modernized patient medical experience that is fundamentally consumer-centric in its approach.▪︎ Development touchpoints include, overarching brand for partnership of key stakeholders, brand strategy, clinic environnment – both functional workflow programming and aesthetic application, navigation, patient education content, graphics, navigation.▪︎ Project Management and Resource Co-ordination of Architectural Partner, Graphic Artists, and Specialty Millwork providers.▪︎ Co-ordination of tendering process, negotiation, and award, build co-ordination, site review, and operational turnover to client.

Barrie, On

▪︎ Developed an end-to-end new store opening process designed to support an aggressive transformational agenda, leveraging a 3rd party organization to set-up renovated locations across Canada for the purposes of deliverying 60+ annual projects, while minimizing associated Head Office costs.▪︎ Redesigned the Visual Merchandising organization to synchronize with the Company’s new Product Merchandising orgnanization in order to align resources and revenue priorities, and to improve GTM speed in all categories.▪︎ Frameworked the Company’s first 360 Degree Go-To-Market Process, effectively integrating the workflow of critical consumer experience requirements provided by Marketing, VM, Store Design and Communications to optimize the presentation of all products at retail.

Toronto, On

▪︎ Championed the development of the next generation customer experience for the large format fleet (25,000 sqft +) with a critical focus on growth engine category integration within the foundational book business, in order to develop the forthcoming cultural department store model▪︎ Implemented two (2) prototypes (remodeled stores) in August 2013 that have delivered double digit comp performance consistently out of the existing selling footprint – +6% trade, +45% GM, +10% kids/baby, +18% paper, in addition to improvement to all selling floor KPIs.▪︎ Collaborated with Trade Merchant Executive to reimagine the book experience in large format stores in order to create a store design model for the future that would reflect the needs of this changing category, to deliver greater productivity out of the retail fleet without sacrificing assortment, and ensuring the sustainability and profitability of the retail bookstore model.▪︎ Implemented American Girl Boutique – first retail installations for this brand outside of the US – with four (4) SiS locations opened in 2014, working closely with their brand team to deliver the fundamentals of their brand experience in less than 1/10th the space of their US model.▪︎ Designed the physical and tactical experience for the company’s category expansion into Personal Technology, working closely with the brand guardians of organizations including Apple, and implementing fourty (40) shop-in-shop modules in three (3) months.▪︎ Built the organization’s branded signage heirarchy infrastructure to optimize the in-store signage requirements for all categories – project completion included and a vendor RFP, SLA criteria, creative workflow software implementation, production guidelines, logistics and related process development, and cost reduction objectives.

Canada

▪︎ Elevate the VM and consumer experience goals of the Master Brand to the Canadian store portfolio through leadership and training of the Field Management Team, including the Regional Director Group.Brief leaseline display development requirements on an annual basis to reflect the specific needs of the marketplace for the purpose of optimizing sales performance in Canada.▪︎ Supported the HQ Store Opening Team on new store openings/renovations to ensure successful transition back to Store Management Team, co-ordination of Canadian marketing materials, and French language considerations.

Mississauga, On

▪︎ Lead the vision and implementation of the Company’s merchandising and planogram efforts for all categories; improved alignment with key destination category CPG vendors and annual release dates ensuring Visual Presentation was a competitive proposition in Canada’s second largest drug store chain. ▪︎ Developed all in-store signage applications – promotional and core – to support the strategic efforts of the Marketing Organization with an emphasis on increasing basket size and average transaction; leveraged fundamental consumer journey principles to optimize the effectiveness of required signage, simultaneously reducing annual production costs by 12% in 2011.▪︎ Lead the development of the brand’s future store environment designed to position the company for improved productivity and perceived value amongst their target demographics; built and tested six (6) fully articulated large format concept stores in 2010 that are consistently reporting an average basket size improvement of over 80%.▪︎ Developed and implemented a best-in-class internal communication model and supporting field-facing documents designed to elicit optimal field execution of all in-store programs including seasonal presentations, loyalty offerings, and tertiary vendor events.

Toronto, Canada Area

▪︎ Developed a system-wide strategic Visual Merchandising program for the Organization’s 350 Centres capable of spanning two (2) architectures that included critical navigation, proportional presentation of inventory contribution, product knowledge, a floor fixture program and a Point-on-Sale merchandising program that lifted top-line revenue 5%.▪︎ Delivered an interior rebranding scheme that co-ordinated the Visual Merchandising program with the Weight Loss program; drove an alignment of the overall Centre experience to reflect that of the premium price position of the core product and service offering; redefined the Centre-level brand experience to effectively communicate the competitive advantage and demystify the unique approach to success offered by exclusively by Herbal Magic thereby improving the conversion rate of consumers to active Weight Loss clients.▪︎ Revitalized the forward vision for the Herbal Magic Centre experience through a next generation Centre build-out program; leveraged the existing real estate portfolio for the first time in its history utilizing forecasted leasehold data to make intelligent purchasing decision against expected Capital projects to effectively drive down costs thereby optimizing available Capex funding▪︎ Dramatically improving internal process excellence and consistency around net new Centre builds by introducing the necessary external partners to bring build projects to market on-time and on-budget.▪︎ Leveraged the available information systems to solicit crucial Centre data required for the Marketing Team to deliver Centre-level support materials connecting the National Advertising efforts with the company’s 1.8 kms of lease line resulting in improved visibility of campaign materials across all channels; built a database containing this information for use across the entire organization.

Toronto, Canada Area

▪︎ Champion bringing the Nike Brand to life at retail through exceptional execution of store design, marketing and visual merchandising in order to maintain Nike’s top-tier advantage as the world’s leading footwear and sports apparel brand.▪︎ Effectively manage the retail pillar’s $4.2M capital and marketing budgets to achieve the strategic growth plans of Nike Retail; grow the partnered retail fleet at a pace of a minimum of (5) new locations per fiscal, driving to the 2010 Olympics target of twenty five (25) ‘NikeStore’ in Canada.▪︎ Connect with the consumer through 3D execution of marketplace concepts such as branded shop-in-shop in order to leverage exceptional footwear, apparel and equipment stories in key strategic retail accounts against the global marketing plans thereby contributing to overall category and regional growth of 10% a year.▪︎ Galvanize the experience of Nike at retail as a premium one that the competition cannot conquer; strengthen perceived value across everything the consumer touches in order to improve brand equity.

Toronto, Canada Area

▪︎ Develop new retail model for ‘big box’/outlet product distribution network; identify appropriate store build out and associated costing based on approved operating and real estate proformas; rolled out six (6) stores to date with a forward annual projection of $9M of top line revenue.▪︎ Own and manage the Canadian store portfolio fleet capital budget to achieve identified projects on-time and on-budget; have successfully built thirteen (13) new locations across Canada within the predetermined budget restrictions.▪︎ Oversee the efficient and effective implementation of a globally generated visual merchandising strategy, modified to reflect the Canadian market, store architecture portfolio, demographics and product assortment for an annual retail volume of $51M.▪︎ Manage and develop a team of five (5), including Marketing Communications and Regional Visual Merchandising Managers; provide training and support to the field in a visual merchandising capacity to improve strength and consistency of the entire in-store experience and overall brand.

Toronto, Canada Area

Toronto, Canada Area