David Eichelberger Email & Phone Number

Sioux Falls, Sd, Us

Columbus, Ohio, Us

Led a diverse team responsible for driving space, assortment and category productivity (sales, margin, turn), merchandising standards, direction to stores and supporting brand goals.↑Directed the Category Management end-to-end processes for all divisions.↑Implemented Blue Yonder (JDA) suite, created 3K+ Floorplans & POGs, and laid the foundation for business driving insights.Provided brand with first ever insights of space and assortment productivity• Led the Assortment Optimization, Hindsight and Channel Clustering processes integral to the annual category management cycles.• Drove annual Fixture & Strategic Initiative processes, assessing current state, requests, budgets, ROI, bids, and implementation.• Partnered with Merch Leadership to create store zones, define the purpose of each and set productivity standards.• Teams set all assortments in presentation studio, conducted cross-functional walks and created direction for stores.• Owned the presentation reset calendar, associated labor budget and communication with the Field.

Seattle, Washington, Us

Amazon FBA business

Columbus, Oh, Us

Hired into new function to optimize inventory levels in 800+ locations, while partnering with multiple cross-functional specialists to set store sales targets and identify opportunities/risks.↑Achieved ROI of $2M in margin, exceeding the $1.5M goal through implementation of a robust category location planning tool, tailored assortments and strong partnership with Field Leadership.Immediately impacted product margins and exceeded sales goals.• Teams forecasted sales by location at sub-category level; Then created inventory plans to optimize chain inventory by store.• Identified $5M fashion leggings opportunity and partnered with merchants to drive best season in history.• Contracted to train and evaluate a group of new Merch Planning hires; Created an Executive Category Management scorecard.

Irvine, California, Us

↑Brought a new, high-end concept to Columbus, and grew within 6 months to the franchise’s busiest Midwest location.Created analytical based model to target and expand customer base.• Led all aspects of the business, including a team of 30-40 staff and instructors. Managed site purchase and construction. Leveraged retail knowledge to drive financial results.• Established Category Management process for Apparel segment; Trained other franchisees.• Earned “Cyclegiving Community Award” for raising >$25K for local nonprofit organizations.• Became frequently requested, trusted mentor for fellow franchise owners throughout Ohio.

In this newly created role, I was a key leadership team member, responsible for all aspects of the product life cycle, including inventory management, performance analysis, brand strategy, direction, and long-range planning for 150+ Canadian stores, then owned by L Brands.My challenge was creating consistency amid a multiplicity of processes and strategies. The company also expanded quickly, and my team grew from 22 to 60 within one year. I created a line architecture tool to tie brand strategies to financial goals. It contained key metrics, stated simply and easily to facilitate growth projections. This brought consistency to reporting across product categories, driving a $5M in sales increase during the first 2 seasons with a 17% inventory reduction.• Created product life cycle profitability reporting which immediately highlighted risks to an existing brand strategy.• Standardized reporting, forecasts and trend analysis across all product categories, resulting in more accurate forecasting.• Promoted 9 associates, including 4 to Management roles

I moved into the role after working as Director of Merchandise Planning and Allocation and led a team of 18 associates across 125 specialty boutiques, multiple outlet locations and an international ecommerce site, each with a separate business model. My goal was to establish consistent processes to inform a cohesive growth strategy. I also needed to motivate team members and increase their engagement in the process. I met with individual associates to hear their ideas and learn what was happening on the floor. This resulted in refreshed employee attitudes and increased participation in the creative process.I also designed a tool to collect customer purchase data and aggregate business KPIs in real time from all three business channels, producing more reliable forecasting data and a marked improvement in ability to proactively devise strategy. The results included increased outlet sales by $100M and 147% store growth in just 3 years. We also generated a 10% sales increase and 17% product margin increase across entire brand in 2011.Our regional promotional and inventory strategy for back-to-school resulted in a +210-basis-point margin improvement.

 As acting general manager of outlets channel, owned P&L, leading the Planning and Allocation teams, with dotted-line responsibility for Stores, Merchandising, Visual, Finance, and more. Produced 75% of operating profit for the entire Juicy brand, funding fleet and team growth. Increased outlet sales by $100M and grew the number of stores by 147% in just 3 years. Responsible for all Financial Reporting (Sales through Margin) and ad hoc requests from corporate parent. Maximized made-for-outlet product profitability through key item programs and limiting new design.  Drove sales increases in every quarter, including a 24% Q4 increase in 2008.

Columbus, Oh, Us

* Led development and implementation of SAS / Marketmax (MMX) retail software package, including assortment planning, financial planning, and data warehouse. * Leveraged strong communication skills to clearly convey complex issues, collaborate and influence varied parties and partner with leadership, IT, SAS/MMX and 3rd-party consultants.* Supervised development of all training materials and conducted training sessions for 55 associates.

Columbus, Oh, Us

 Increased lifestyles MMU$ by $10 million over LY, while also driving the highest MMU% in 5 years. Partnered with GMM to reconfigured store for holiday season; Resulted in record sales of non-apparel and gifting items, while retaining shoppers in store an average of 12 additional minutes. Reduced markdown rates in non-apparel business by 300 points through a revised damage process. Received the prestigious annual corporate Stellar Award for outstanding business in 3 consecutive years.

Columbus, Oh, Us