Rachael Kelly Simon Email & Phone Number

Carson, Ca, Us

•Own all apparel categories of merchandise for the Max Studio brands (apparel,shoes,acc)•Execute sales, margin, and inventory plans for all departments•Responsible for merchandising the retail stores, ensuring e-commerce store aligns•Manage SKU count year over year and defend apparel category budgets and designs •Set and present promotional strategies annually and update seasonally to align with market changes •Produce, monitor and analyze daily/monthly sales and update promotional activity accordingly to increase in-store and online traffic•Present best sellers with design team on seasonal basis/ collaborate with in-house design team to ensure new assortment aligns with our customer •Present assortment to President, CEO & Creative Director on weekly or monthly basis•Set price points for new product, creating promotional price point line lists defining sales margin ahead of season launch •Responsible for all allocations to the retail and outlet stores of new and rerelease product, creating capsules and vignettes for seasonal and midseason launches •Created and implemented new process to better communicate with 21 stores- weekly store trade reports, empowering store managers to deep dive their own store sales and identify and communicate any issues that corporate needs to address in a streamlined document •Attend all photo and catalog shoots, working with stylist and creative director to ensure apparel shows well and maintain our luxury brand •Dedicated a weekly meeting to support our assistants and interns to encourage job growth

San Francisco, Ca, Us

•Merchant responsible for driving sales and strategies for the rug, window, bath textiles division •Create and develop business strategies and seasonal assortment plans to maximize the development of the brand, sales and profits•Manage, analyze, and drive sales on a daily basis, reacting with promotional action as needed•Communicate annual and seasonal strategies to functional areas (Inventory, Design, Sourcing, Production, Packaging, Visual).•Recommend pricing and promotional strategies for the department•Partner with design team to identify new product concepts•Responsible for reviewing and approving all product samples throughout development•Conduct regular competitive analysis •Identify emerging trends. Develop business strategies outlining strengths, weaknesses, new opportunities and threats. Present trends and concepts to design team and senior leadership•Develop and recommend seasonal and core product mix for department or area. •Collaborate with Inventory Management to develop annual and seasonal financial plans.

San Francisco, Ca, Us

•Perform weekly sales analysis & provide recommendations/action plans•Works daily with with cross functional team- inventory, sourcing, creative, ECOM•Competitor market analysis- keeping abreast of current trends & gaps in our assortment, pricing tiers or promotions. Provide observations of market to Buyer for market analysis.•Identify opportunities and recommend new product or concepts for department or area.•Make recommendations to assist Buyer with developing seasonal and core product mix for department or area. Participate in the development of annual and seasonal financial plans.•Recommend catalog layouts to Buyer.•Assist Buyer & Invtry Mgmt with determining appropriate adjustments (markdowns, chases, and quantity changes) to the plan to maximize sales, profits, budget (OTB) & to protect the brand.•Oversees the catalog proofing process- ensuring skus, retails, assortment is listed correctly in our catalog.•Manages photo sample ordering, tracking, & receiving for our seasonal photo shoots.•Partners with cross functional merchant team to plan layout of catalogs for each season. Builds creative visual folders for presentation & manages execution of catalog shoot shot requests. •Research returns and present top findings & action plans to VP of merchandising on a monthly basis, escalate customer service issues.•Stretch role owning the Nursery Upholstery department, working closely under the Buyer •Assist Buyer with developing the seasonal assortment plans (line lists) to define product requirements for Design.•Assist Buyer and Inventory Management to provide Sourcing and Production Management with purchase quantities, delivery dates, flow and exit strategies for initial cost and production negotiations for new programs.•Assist Buyer with providing final assortment plans to xfuntional teams: product details, target retails, estimated IMU, importance to overall assortment (big bets)& floor plan location for developing purchase projections & buy plans.

El Segundo, Ca, Us

•Performs competitive internal and external market pay analysis•Provides analysis and recommendations to HRBPs and Talent Acquisition•Works with managers/business leaders to solve variety of compensation problems or inquiries.•Conducts quarterly forecasts for Finance regarding annual bonus program costs•Participates in the annual salary survey input•Manages the external market pricing system & trains/advises team members as necessary•Researches and drafts process/policy documentation for pay programs company wide

Seattle, Washington, Us

• Buying/Design intern at this high end retail store• Design responsibilities: Visual merchandising, collaborating with lead designer to produce the Christmas holiday window display • Receiving new merchandise, shipping merchandise, direct mailers, call lists • Working on promotional events for the store.• Drafted and distributed communications for seasonal promotions, sales and in-store events

Contracted by a local real-estate development firm, Point 32, to conduct a reconnaissance study of the intersection of 15th and East Madison. This intersection will house the Cascadia Center for Sustainable Design, which will be the most efficient office building to date. As chief editor, I was responsible for editing the final portfolio, as well as participating in researching and compiling the historical research of the retail businesses affected.

• Planning and design intern at this green architecture firm specializing in sustainable building, interior design and urban planning • Researching and preparing power point presentations on various urban design topics: urban universities, tribal colleges, green collar jobs, etc. • Researching and organizing potential environmental grants for prospective/current clients

Ba, Public Affairs

French