• Grew and managed a thriving DTC business for Roxy from 2020-2021, before being promoted to RVCA in 2022. Had the opportunity to manage all categories of the business for both brands, including Apparel, Accessories, Swim, Footwear, and Sport. Grew top line sales and gross margin while maintaining a balance in terms of branding, trend, and quality. • Maintained engagement with the customer through increased emails and social media presence, while working to elevate the brand image within the market. Translated to increases in traffic (+8%) and conversion (+29%).• Identified key categories as “growth accelerators” to ramp up and invest in, resulting in 2021 sales being up 24% over the year prior and, maximized ecommerce exclusive product, and executed numerous successful brand collaborations.

• Managed Fashion Apparel Division for both brick & mortar and web. In charge of all categories for Junior’s, Plus, and Men’s Apparel; including tops, bottoms, dresses, and outerwear.• Drove all financial aspects of the business. Responsible for analyzing all data to determine high-level strategy, identify opportunities, minimize risks, and create bottom-up plans. Constantly evaluated current business trends to determine any necessary changes in action plan.• Grew and managed a thriving e-commerce business. Worked closely with cross-functional partners to enhance the user experience through web layout, content and design, and enhanced navigability, leading to increased conversion.• Created and maximized e-comm exclusive categories, including plus-size, brands, and trend capsules. Increased the web plus-size business from 15% to 40% of total sales, without any sales trade-off.• Partnered with in-house product development team and outside vendors to create unique and exclusive product servicing a niche market. Proven track record of developing key items that drive top-line sales and gross margin while maintaining a balance in terms of branding, trend, and quality.• In addition to developing my own team, strived towards creating a more unified brand vision across all merchandise divisions. Organized and presented monthly merchant meetings to review market trends, discuss company initiatives, and collaborate on creative development.

• Rebuilt the Cosmetics department, which had been down-trending in sales for over 3 years. Was able to achieve positive comp sales within 4 months of running the department, and increased sales by 80% within 2 years.• Expanded the department by introducing new categories, brands, and established the direct-to-retail licensing program within accessories. This involved initiating deals with top licensors, developing license-specific product, and training other buyers on the process.• Developed multiple private label brands that were the base of the business, driving margin dollars and servicing a niche market with unique products that could only be found at Hot Topic. Drove all aspects of product development, including inspiration, design, sourcing, packaging, and branding.• Promoted to Jewelry, the most sku intensive department within the company. In addition to creating private label product, focused on expanding licensed product within the department, which resulted in the highest annual sales in company history.• Created standards of practice that were used to train and evaluate assistant and associate buyers. This aided in employee development and created clear paths for promising employees, resulting in multiple direct reports being promoted.

• Bought Junior’s branded apparel across all categories, including cut & sew, tees, swim, as well as private label product development for key categories. Was instrumental in the assortment and expansion of private label swim, which helped make Tilly’s the mall destination for swimwear.• Expanded seasonal categories, and created a new receipt calendar that better reflected evolving industry sales trends. Moving away from a traditional seasonal cadence maximized sales, while also reducing inventory liability and margin loss due to markdowns.• Responsible for all financial aspects of the business, including managing OTB, receipt flow, inventory levels, and forecasting.• Cultivated thriving relationships with top brands while discovering and growing relationships with new brands and manufacturers. Became an assertive and decisive negotiator, while still maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with vendors.

• Responsible for growing the business by initiating and developing partnerships and maintaining a diverse and profitable client base.• Collaborated with retail clients to develop product, coordinate projects, and negotiate terms on orders. Utilized strong communication skills to maintain high standards of service through all stages of the product life cycle.• Researched, tracked, and analyzed current fashion trends and interpreted them for specific markets. Developed creative and unique product lines with a focus on originality and exclusivity for retailers.• Was the main point of contact for all aspects of company communication. Assigned and managed all projects given to designers, manufacturers, and production team members.

• Bought and managed multiple accessories categories, including belts, bags, hats, cold-weather, sunglasses, and Halloween categories.• Closely monitored the market to maintain an expert knowledge of the competitive landscape and industry trends while having the ability to translate it for the target customer.• Consistently created and implemented merchandising strategies with a focus on expanding the assortment. Introduced many new product categories, resulting in incremental growth of over 30%.

• Assisted with the planning and purchasing of Women’s apparel for both brick & mortar, catalog, and web business.• Supported the buyer by writing and managing purchase orders, assisting in product development, vendor relations, and negotiations. Monitored and maintained inventory levels for all channels of the business. Created reports and provided analysis on data that helped to optimize sales and inventory.• Managed team work assignments, and was responsible for training and coaching all incoming assistant buyers and control buyers.