Katherine Schmelz Email & Phone Number

Philadelphia, Pa, Us

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Brooklyn

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Developing and consistently working to create new and WHAT THAT'S FIVE?! items through overseas sourcing, in order to maintain a fresh merchandising mix in our 500+ stores.• Observing the trends in the marketplace through comparison shopping in competitive retail stores and traveling to trade shows, whilst then incorporating those trends into products across all buying departments. • Assisting in the design and concept of private label products across specific merchandise departments, focusing on development of proprietary items sourced overseas in Asia and India.• Corresponding daily with direct import vendors overseas as the main point of contact on new product opportunities, as well as leading the organization of PD specific import vendors traveling from Asia/India to our offices for week-long, vigorous buyer meetings with all departments.• Collaborating with the buying teams, most specifically Room Décor, Stationary & Create and the Sports &a Fitness teams in order to track new and existing PD sourced items using a Product Status Report that is constantly updated and reviewed by all parties.• Taking the lead role in handling the development of all product that is displayed in our 'Philly Shop' at our Flagship location as well as the development of our company giveaways to all associates at our yearly company meeting.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Facilitated in the growth of a newly created Product Development department at Five Below as a core member of a three person team, acting as a liaison between new and existing import vendors and the merchandising and finance teams.• Observed the trends in the marketplace through comparison shopping in competitive retails stores and traveling to trade shows, and then incorporating those trends into a large variety of merchandise when partnering with the buying teams.• Assisted in the design and concept of both product and its packaging across all merchandise departments, specifically taking a lead role in the toys and games and room décor departments supporting $75M in toy sales and $45M in room décor sales.• Coordinated and tracking all product samples that are sourced through the product development department while also being responsible for communicating and sending out competitive shopping samples to overseas and domestic vendors.• Corresponded daily with direct import vendors overseas on new product opportunities, as well as maintaining communication on all items created until they reach our distribution centers.• Collaborated with all buying teams in developing and bringing new products to fruition while also improving existing products through direct import opportunities.

Greater Philadelphia Area

• Managed high-volume import deliveries from purchase order inception, acting as a liaison between overseas vendors, freight forwarder, deconsolidator, and local routing infrastructure.• Partnered with accounts payable to issue payment on import purchase order invoices concentrated on unique-to-vendor payment terms, all in a timely and efficient manner.• Collaborated with merchandising teams to ensure order quantities are consistent with specific-to-product cubing dimensions, in order to maximize container space and cost effectiveness.• Provided estimated landed costs to buyers on new product ventures, being mindful of product dimensions, duty rates, and increasing container costs• Participated in various specialized projects to benefit the company, including being selected as point person of communication with the company’s new deconsolidation facility, NFI to aid in the proficient flow of import orders to our two distribution centers.

Maintained multiple professional client relationships in the fast-paced supply chain logistics aspect of International Business AdministrationExercised various multi-tasking and efficiency skills in preparing foreign commerce shipping documents in a deadline based environmentCollaborated with international partners overseas in helping to execute, monitor and control the ocean shipment process

Bba, Marketing, International Business Administration

Activities and Societies: International Business Association, Temple Women's Division I Soccer, Temple Intramural Sports, Temple Rome.

International Business

Study abroad - Rome, Italy