Chris Ponder Email & Phone Number

Bristol, Ri, Us

Greater New York City Area

Greater New York City Area

• Manage a complex process of production, warehousing, and shipping to the following accounts:o January 2012 to present. Annual shipments of $40M in Polo/Ralph Lauren Underwear and Sleepwear to Bloomingdales, Belk, The Hudson Bay, Century 21, E&J Lawrence.o November 2011 – January 2012. Annual shipments of $50M in Hanes Men’s and Boys’ Underwear to J.C. Penny and Stage Stores.o November 2010 to November 2011. Annual shipment of $120M in Polo/Ralph Lauren Underwear and Sleepwear to Macys and Macys.com. • Integral in the development of seasonal assortments to complement a basics business. Shop markets for new styles and fabrications. Determine “white space” on a selling floor and develop strategies to take advantage of missed opportunities. • Develop and execute production and shipment plans by account. Partner with planning and sourcing to optimize warehouse inventory to insure in-stock rates for shipments while eliminating unproductive inventory.• Analyze customer selling at both the national and local levels. Use market data and Hanes national selling to develop and recommend a strategic assortment tailored to the strength of each account. • Develop seasonal trade spend (give-back) plans to optimize each account’s pricing, promotions and advertising where possible.• Partner with each account to tailor an assortment and develop new product that satisfies the customer base of the account. Develop specific better product with high average unit retails for the better department store customer.

Macy’s, Atlanta GA Buyer, Men’s Dress Shirts and Neckwear ($98M in Annual Sales), February 2008 – Present · Drove annual volume of $98M (highest sales volume in the Men’s Department). Developed, managed, and achieved annual Sales, Inventory, and Gross Margin plans. Achieved the highest sales trend to plan and last year (100.8% to PL and LY) in total Macy’s Inc. in 2008. · Managed the Macy’s Midwest division consolidation into Macy’s South, increasing store count to 216 from 130 in 2008. Analyzed newly acquired assortments to make changes in accordance with market trends. Used best practices from current markets to drive a sales result of 105.4% to Plan in newly acquired markets in 2008.· Develop and execute seasonal merchandise and marketing strategies; Leverage current trends in the marketplace. · Purchase $160M of merchandise annually to support seasonal strategies. Capitalize on current trends and top styles and rationalizing poor performing brands and styles. Utilize demand planning to develop just-in-time inventories tailored to local market needs by analyzing data at the regional and store level.· Manage advertising in several markets of the United States. Negotiate cooperative advertising with vendors to drive sales regionally. Plan advertising vehicles regionally with an annual advertising spend of $2.5M· Develop and train Assistant and Associate Buyers to prepare them for leadership roles in the company. Currently manage 1 Associate Buyer, 2 Assistant Buyers, and 1 Merchandise Administrator.

·Drove Annual volume of $39M. Achieved the highest sales penetration growth in total Macy’s Inc (1.5% of total store sales versus 1.4% LY).·Drove store visual direction for each business seasonally. Directed merchandising strategy and built inventory to support national events. Achieved highest national event sales in Macys (120.0% to LY). ·Successfully completed the 2006 Federated/May Co merger integrating Foley’s/Hecht’s into the Macys Central structure, obtaining results of 105% to LY and 100% to Plan.

·Managed the composition of $270M of average stock with $350M in purchases of replenishment merchandise using Macy’s replenishment system (Inforem) and analysis at the style/location level. ·Internal Consultant to Managers of Planning, Merchandise Planners, and Buyers assortment management to optimize inventory productivity. ·Worked closely with Merchandise Planners to develop financial sales and stock plans for replenishment businesses.·Trained existing Merchandise Planners, newly promoted Merchandise Planners, and newly promoted Managers of Planning. Developed and taught classes each month and provided one-on-one training.

·Develop monthly financial sales and stock flows at lower classification levels. Achieve yearly sales and margin plans.·Aggressively build key-item structure in top selling brands while reducing the number of styles in slow turning and low penetrating brands.·Incorporate Private Label Imported Merchandise, Domestic Fashion and Domestic Basic Merchandise into a monthly sales and stock flow by location. ·Participate in Federated Merchandising Group’s import market. Analyze fast selling and slow selling items currently in assortment to maximize sales and minimize markdowns in Import program.·Develop sales and stock plans for each location and manage to those plans.

·Internal Consultant for Replenishment programs in several departments·Spearheaded several style reduction projects to eliminate unproductive stock to reallocate into our key item programs. Reduced Weeks of Supply carried on the floor.

·Development position to learn sales and stock flows, systems, partnerships, and basics of buying·Worked with Buyer to plan topside sales and stock flows

·Develop merchandising techniques to drive sales in store.·Manage staffs of Salaried and Commissioned Sales Associates.

Ma, Economics

M.A. in Economics, July 1994 Masters Thesis entitled “The Determinants of the Number of Automobile Dealerships in the South Carolina New.

Ba, International Studies And Economics

B.A. in International Studies and Economics, May 1992