Melissa Grimando Email & Phone Number

Orlando, Fl, Us

Orlando, Florida, United States

● Own visual merchandising strategy & execution at one of company’s highest revenue-generating doors in Southern district, responsible for concept mapping & layout execution to uphold brand standards and maximize sales● Create quarterly plans and design footprints specific to store; continually assess and analyze inventory, sales trends & shopability to determine substitutions or changes● Interpret and execute corporate visual inspiration to accurately reflect regional consumer trends & convey the modern spirit of the brand● Lead and train a team of three assistants to properly maintain visual standards & execute floor rotations on time● Create personal, engaging and inspirational experiences for customers by sharing styling and decorating expertise

Orlando, Florida, United States

● Operate within a team to create personalized wardrobe recommendations for clients; provide brand and item suggestions unique to each customer need & lifestyle● Build relationships with brands & stores to showcase their products within the design suite based on consumer trends● Help activate live events including merchandising set up and customer engagement to drive awareness & client acquisition

Orlando, Florida, United States

Report directly into the VP of Retail, promoted from regional lead to department head to manage the visual merchandising and in-store strategies for 5 brands, covering 73 vertical retail stores across 4 NA regions (Florida, Hawaii, California, Canada) totaling $100M+ in sales volumeVisual merchandising & store event execution ● Fully develop in-store creative execution, direction & styling for quarterly seasonal product launches and corporate brand initiatives, ensuring flawless execution to maximize exposure and sales against key product categories and products (i.e “A Bikini Kind of Life” activation doubled women’s sales for the day)Internal Education & Cross-functional Communications Lead ● Lead educator for sales management and in-store associates on brand and product key selling points, including major event collections and initiatives (i.e. Salty Blonde, Wrangler) ● Work closely with corporate and inventory management team to ensure merchandise delivery dates align with floor set and visuals to ensure brand, sales and financial goals are achievedExperiential Relationship Management ● Built incredibly loyal partnerships and strong relationships with corporate retail management to land meaningful and exciting marketing opportunities in malls & retail locations outside of stores (i.e. Millenia cube) ● Create strong cross-brand collaborations to increase awareness, distribution and sales opportunities (i.e. Waldorf pop up shop)

Orlando, Florida Area

● Reported directly into the President and VP of Retail, with 6 direct reports, managed the visual merchandising and in-store strategies for 3 brands, covering 40 vertical retail stores and 150 wholesale partner locations● Led the visual process with cross-functional creative teams on seasonal floor sets and window displays to align brand vison, brand story and current inventory● Provided visual merchandising presentations for brand initiatives to drive the financial goals and inspire customer in stores to live the brand story● Responsible for providing the necessary tools, coaching, and guidelines for the field visual merchandising team to continue to drive performance and further develop a team of high performers

● Reported to Director of Stores managing the visual teams of 13 retail locations covering 4 states ● Created visual directives and standards for all seasonal floor sets and developed guidelines on store capacity and standards for consistency amongst all locations ● Member of store opening and remodeling team for 7 locations, responsible for setting priorities and managing team’s productivity

Orlando, Florida, United States

● Fully responsible for visual merchandising, retail operations, customer experience, and weekly sales goals for the Billabong Florida Mall location● Managed, recruited and trained employees as store supervisor

Orlando, Florida, United States

Gained exposure to essential store management, sales & customer engagement strategies and tactics, to develop retail and visual merchandising knowledge during college-based role

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Hospitality Administration/Management, 3.65 Gpa

Visual Merchandising/Retail Buying, 4.0 Gpa