Nicola Spalding Email & Phone Number

Freelance Trends Analyst, Content Writer & Retail Consultant- Curating a digest of weekly food tech news and startup funding news for FoodHack and Green Queen, including research across a wide base of sources and writing snappy summaries to theme and analyse the latest news for a subscriber base.- Researching and analysing food trends according to customer requests, and creating written content to illustrate their origins and potential business usage. Working collaboratively with a team of analysts to research, write and proof read persuasive copy in the voice of thefoodpeople.- Researching and pitching articles on the latest food trends, working collaboratively with development chefs to create authoritative, strategic content for Pure NPD; several articles have since been syndicated by Vegconomist.- Consulting with small startups to help establish their business activity, through developing trading and marketing strategies, sourcing suppliers, establishing critical paths and pricing.

- Responsible for planning and delivering a programme of seasonal and category-specific innovation across all Food areas, alongside delivering step change in our key own brand growth priorities whilst maintaining brand integrity. Acting as the trends expert in the business through analysis of external trend data alongside full market research, plus travel to food expos and food service establishments, in order to set the direction for trends relevant to our customers.- Working closely with Own Brand, Customer Insight, PR and Activity Planning teams to ensure complete alignment on future direction, and actively harnessing customer feedback to give credibility to ideas as they are developed. Engaging Trading and Product Development teams through innovation workshops to demonstrate macro and micro food trends and how they should be used within categories, to ensure maximum innovative product development whilst taking into account all government nutritional guidelines.- Through 2019 I landed innovation worth over £5.5M incremental sales YOY, across several areas of the business and seasonal events. This innovation was trend-led and across cohesive themes and flavour profiles, and received strong customer feedback.

Bradford, United Kingdom

• Responsible for categories worth £30M turnover per year, comprising filled and co-ordinated bedding, candles, home décor, dinnerware, tableware, mugs, glassware and kitchen textiles and co-ordinates.• Full weekly, quarterly and annual financial and stock analysis of all categories, in order to maximise year on year growth and exceed financial and stockholding targets. This includes forecasting, business planning and constant innovation and implementation of exciting offers and WIGIG deals to ensure competitive sales• Developing, sourcing and selecting products which cover consumer trends and provide exciting ranges and the best possible value for customers, whilst maximising margin volume and YOY LFL growth. Recently, I have undertaken a range change for Dine, for which I have streamlined our supplier base to improve our volume-driven and logistics-based costs of sourcing, I have implemented trend-led new designs across entire ranges, ensuring our offer is cohesive and will maximise incremental customer purchase opportunities, and I have identified several products within the category to use as volume-drivers, so have worked with my key suppliers to bring cost-savings to our customers and used effective POS to highlight these products and their related offers.• Planning, pitching and implementing off-shelf promotions at key customer moments, including a ‘Winter Warmers’ bedding offer in November and a ‘Christmas Tabletop’ Dine offer in December, plus driving volume and sales with four-weekly promotions which inspire pick-up sales and maintain customer interest in the Home area of the store through great value on branded and own brand products.

Leeds, United Kingdom

Development Manager for licensed Jamie Oliver and Laura Ashley product development:• Responsible for a team which creates and develops ranges under licensed brands, within several product categories including ceramics, glassware, cutlery, gifting and food, totalling $30M of annual turnover.• Delivering all development projects on time and within cost targets. This process begins with working with licensors, sales teams and creative designers to establish additions required to existing brand matrices. Next, briefing sourcing teams on products required, critical path key dates that must be met and objectives of each project. Then, throughout the development process, following up on samples, approvals, surface design and product packaging, and delivering costs and logistic details to Sales teams whilst working with customers and licensors to ensure that all product quality and timing objectives are fulfilled.• Writing and translating product and catalogue copy, proof-reading all packaging artwork before it is submitted for production, organising and managing display of new development at trade fairs such as Ambiente• Buyer for UK and French supplier branded Food Gift products, including product selection, negotiation on cost and packaging details, and presentation of products for approval to licensor and customers.

Manchester, United Kingdom

Category development for the International department of a Lighting distributor:• Examining and analysing current customers’ ranges and developing products for range reviews, liaising with Chinese suppliers for the best product cost and quality, preparing presentations for customers in order to maximise the customers’ product selection.• Managing customer orders, including liaison with several other internal departments to ensure that all customer expectations of dates, quality and service are met.• Providing support to customers for their spare part and delivery requirements, managing and organising pallet and container shipments.

Oldham, United Kingdom

Merchandiser for a large Homewares distributor, looking after four categories:• Managing orders from placement to shipment, including extensive use of critical path and liaison with internal departments and suppliers.• Negotiating with suppliers to ensure we achieved the best possible lead times and margins for our orders.• Developing products and helping with the procedures for instruction manuals and artworks for selected items. Recently, I adapted several recipes for use with our products, making them more attractive to potential customers due to the more user-friendly instruction manuals provided.

Manchester, United Kingdom

Category Buyer for a sub-section of a FTSE 100 company - temporary role:• Inventory management and analysis for a large UK depot• Refinement of current stock levels and supplier bases• Managing inter-branch transfers to maximise stock efficiency

Manchester, United Kingdom

Buyer for the UK’s largest fragrance and beauty distributor - temporary role:• Sourcing and purchasing products all over the world for several large UK grocers and retailers, as well as many important export trade accounts. • Creating buy plans according to forecasts• Daily negotiation with suppliers to achieve optimum profit margins, stock quantities, product exclusivity and product quality. Recently, I negotiated discounts of between 10% and 30% on key products for the Holiday period, in order that all forecasted margins were met, and clients were able to pass on savings to the final consumer.• Analysis of stock offers in order to purchase products at the best possible prices – this required a strict attention to detail to ensure maintenance of margins.• Excellent team working skills gained through working with my colleagues to plan and meet all forecasted purchases, as well as preparing weekly presentations for senior management

Paris Area, France

Product Manager for four categories and an annual turnover of $8M:• Sourcing product for different styles and seasons, and liaising with suppliers to develop exclusive products, then managing projects from product concept to shipment• Negotiating costs and quantities to reach target margins; sourcing in branded and non-branded items across several categories including Electrics, Food, Decorative Accessories, Tableware, Toys and Arts & Crafts, Knives and Cutlery.• Seasonal product presentation - excellent communication skills gained from working as a European team. All negotiation and organisation was via email and telephone, and my supervisor praised me for my ‘clear, concise and effective communication’.• I developed a database to keep track of supplier and product details, which increased productivity and efficiency in communication, negotiation and product proposal.• When several products from a key supplier started arriving broken to stores, I conducted a project to analyse whether we could save money by using a third-party packaging supplier. I negotiated discounts based on order volumes, so the products were adequately packaged and margins were improved by 8%.

Assistant to two Merchandise Managers:• Helping manage projects and source products• Setting up supply chains and developing systems to ensure vendor compliance• Assisting with merchandising and stock allocation

Paris Area, France

Taking groups of students for conversation, grammar and culture classes, helping with preparation for oral exams, grading students.

Hull, United Kingdom

Looking after clients, answering calls and correspondence, accounts work including timesheets and payroll, as well as entering data for account and credit card purchases, organising hotels and equipment for labourers when working at sites around the country, as well as putting together a marketing portfolio for the company’s current advertising campaign.

1St Class, Business, French

Activities and Societies: Dancing, ice skating, squash, badminton, French societyModules included marketing, strategy, accounting.

Diploma, French Language And Culture

Achieved fluency in French through complete immersion in Parisian culture