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.
• 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.
• 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