Jason Baedke Email & Phone Number

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

North Central Region

Hoffman Estates, Il

Candy & Seasonal Gifts

Greater Chicago Area

Grow sales and profit across all classes of trade for customers in Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest. • Develop and maintain relationships with key brokers and buyers to maximize sales opportunities and cater product offering to meet customer needs. • Create sales presentations, price lists, and other marketing vehicles to increase market share and position products against competition.• Increased market penetration through selling to new customers and increasing product share in existing accounts.

Hoffman Estates, Il

Reader's Market - Books, Magazines, Trading Cards, and Souvenirs.Batteries, Flashlights, Value (Dollar Shop)Maximized sales and profit by developing and implementing goals and objectives, category strategies, and strategic business plans for $100M+ product categories with over 2,500 SKUs. • Increased margin in battery category 40% resulting in incremental $40M profit by negotiating new exclusive partnership with vendors. • Built and maintained vendor relationships and negotiated prices, terms, transportation and methods of distribution, including DC, DSD, and D2S.• Managed product flow to stores, increased turn, and reduced aged inventory 40% in books and souvenirs through promotional markdowns and inventory returns to vendors. • Evaluated market trends and pricing by analyzing category and vendor performance, using internal resources and external tools, including Nielsen, IRI data and competitive store visits. • Drove incremental and profitable sales by collaborating with vendors and store operations, creating additional merchandise opportunities, including battery displays at various customer touch points and book displays in drive aisle during key seasonal periods. • Increased customer traffic and sales conversion by establishing creative promotional strategies that provided value and met consumer needs, studying competitive activities, and utilizing test-and-learn scenarios.

Hoffman Estates, Il

Seasonal Candy and Food Gift SetsBeveragesP&L responsibility including assortment building, advertising, markdown and allowance negotiations, and exit strategies within multiple $200MM+ categories. • Optimized sales and profitability within category by meeting monthly with vendors and category captains, reviewing seasonal strategies, assortment enhancements, cost negotiations, and purchase levels. • Enhanced customer-shopping experience by collaborating with marketing, store operations and space planning, designing strategic planograms, in-store signage, display space, ad placement, and exceptional marketing offers.• Increased sales over 20% and market share over 800 basis points in seasonal candy and gift sets during Q4 2011 through proper in-store execution, promotional offers, and product innovation.

Hoffman Estates, Il

BeveragesCompleted 6-month merchant development training program successfully, essential in becoming good category manager, leading to promotion to Assistant Category Manager, and providing foundation for becoming Category Manager later on.• Increased advertising frequency by collaborating with marketing for more space and vendors for more offers.• Improved sales tracking techniques and forecasting by developing spreadsheets that accurately tracked daily, weekly, and monthly sales.• Negotiated better and more competitive pricing with beverage vendors by establishing quarterly calls and reviewing promotional strategies.

Greater Chicago Area

Managed day-to-day operations of retail store(s) with up to 8 employees. Reviewed sales, inventory, scheduling, payroll, and merchandising in accordance with corporate operating procedures. • Drove topline sales through proper training and sale closing techniques with associates.• Enhanced store experience by delegating merchandising and planogram updates to associates and maintaining clean and friendly environment. • Developed employees into leaders through training and delegation that led to promotions within store and district.• Improved operational audit scores in store and within district and increased efficiency by creating checklists for all store managers, training all managers on ways for improving scores, and ensuring district saw best improvement in years.

Greater Chicago Area

Trained and developed employees of third-party retailers, including national retailers and local agents, on Sprint products and services. Merchandised stores with branded displays and collateral in key locations, increasing product awareness. • Increased market share by meeting with managers and owners to review performance, set goals, and identify new selling opportunities. • Launched first independent 2-step distributor in region through negotiation and marketing skills.

Great Lakes, Il

Managed nation’s largest AAFES kiosk at Great Lakes Naval Base. Hired, trained, and scheduled employees, selling Sprint products and services, while maintaining budget and payroll guidelines. • Increased sales by utilizing various marketing solutions such as flyers and tent events.

Greater Chicago Area

Sold Sprint wireless phones and services in 3rd party locations throughout Chicago area. Explained benefits of phones and services to customers shopping for wireless service.• Increased customer satisfaction by assisting customers with phone and service issues and questions.