John Hullinger Email and Phone Number

• Provide strategic direction to the Cat Consumables Merchandise Planners for all components of a rolling merchandise forecast (sales, margin, receipts, inventory and turn).• Collaborate with the Buying/Sourcing, Allocation, and Space Planning teams to influence assortment and promotional initiatives and projects, with supporting financial data.• Partner with the vendor community on planning activities to align on a joint Sales, COGS, Receipt, and Marketing plan..• Develop overall division strategy vision, policies, resources, and execution plans to align to the corporate strategy.• Use consumer insights and data combined with a structured test and learn approach to maximize growth opportunities.• Participate in the seasonal, annual, and long-range strategic and financial planning.• Support the VP & Director to present within various strategic meetings for the division.• Own the end-to-end management of merchandise and financial planning, including the optimization of inventory investments across life cycle pricing, in-stock and service levels, and seasonal transitions• Set targets for good/better/best pricing proportions, inventory and space productivity to support the sales and GM plans.• Key liaison with corporate planning and finance departments to create annual, seasonal, weekly, and daily plans. • Actively create and lead special projects that drive growth opportunities

•Create and revise all components of a merchandise forecast (sales, margin, receipts, inventory and turn)•Make both collaborative and independent day-to-day decisions which affect gross margin dollars•Partner with the Buyer and Assortment Team to influence the assortment and promotional plans•Analyze and anticipate selling patterns to influence the allocation and replenishment strategy•Provide peer leadership and training to Merchandise Financial Planners and advocating for the function in the business.•Develop yearly/seasonal/weekly category merchandise financial plans (sales, margin, inventory and turn) in accordance with company goals, historical performance and trend analysis. Present strategies to Senior Management.•Own the end-to-end management of merchandise and financial planning, including the optimization of inventory investments across life cycle pricing, in-stock and service levels, and seasonal transitions•Set targets and achieves plans for good/better/best pricing proportions, inventory and space productivity required to support the sales and gross margin plans•Maintain high levels of promotional product availability during promotional periods while minimizing aging and discontinued inventory levels.•Develop key, new and one-time buy items plans and then partner with Merchandise Buyers and Allocation Teams to adjust inventory levels where appropriate in season.•Conduct detailed post-season or post-event analysis, leveraging customer data when appropriate, and present insights and recommendations to leadership team.•Actively create and lead special projects that drive growth opportunities•Work with space and assortment planning team members to influence the assortment planning process based on insights, analysis and strategic direction•Support the VP & Director to present within various strategic meetings for the division (i.e. Direction Setting, Marketing Execution meetings, Line Reviews, Open-To-Buy, Vendor, QBR, and other meetings)

Create 18-month department, class season and key item financial plans. Conduct ad hoc and standard analysis with regard to respective categories and identify opportunities and risks.Provide Buyers with historical information for the assortment planning process. Manage markdown process and collaborate with Buyers and Pricing Analysts to ensure that markdowns fit within the financial plan. Develop item and financial forecasts for ads and promotions. Effectively communicate and collaborate with Buyers, Replenishment , Allocators and Planning Managers. Manage and measure financial plans as part of the business rhythm process both at a class season level or a key item level. Manage the open to buy process, ensuring that the purchase decisions are consistent with the inventory and purchase markup plans. Produce “what if” reports to ensure that any fashion/promotional/basic force outs or other off shelf purchases are consistent with the financial plans.

• Maintain in-season item level plans to account for current trends affecting near term and future sales plans.• Develop item level, and sub-category/category sales plans based on baseline, promotional, and end of life sales objectives and trends.• Coordinate and document knowledge transfer from Buyers, Demand Planners, and Finance for integration into sales plan.• Communicate plan risks and opportunities to buyer and management.• Create and evaluate “what-if” scenarios to aid in assortment, pricing, and lifecycle decisions.• Monitor, identify, investigate, and report causes of sales plan accuracy errors.• Keep current with industry trends and best practices in merchandising/buying.

•Assisted in total store sales forecasting, budgets, and expense accounts.•Prepared profit and loss statements by department, managed markup/markdowns. •Planned and executed seasonal plans and feature/display plans. •Managed all the apparel and accessories departments.•Managed front end operations including accounting office, cashiers, and customer service.•Directly managed approximately 140 employees and indirectly managed 450 employees.•Utah District 166 Assistant Store Manager of the Month (June 2004). - Based on performance, profit and loss, markup/markdown budget, sales forecasts, and personnel development.•Managed nine hard lines departments.•Managed entire store operations, 8 p.m. - 8 a.m. shift, as one of two overnight Assistant Store Managers. •Department Manager of Pet Sales - Out of approximately 2000 Wal-Mart stores, ranked multiple times as one of the top 50 stores in live pet sales. Increased sales in the department by 32% in 2000 and 34% in 2001.