Rachael Rice Email and Phone Number

-Proven ability to develop and implement merchandise strategies to exceed targeted sales plan & margin goals.-Collaborate with cross-functional teams to analyze market trends, customer behavior, and competitive data to influence assortment.-Work closely with Design to formulate a focused line plan leveraging current business and customer insights, while still integrating new & exciting fashion into assortment.-Partner closely with Design & Visual to bring product story to life.-Category lead in Dresses with experience in product selection, pricing, and inventory management.-Conduct regular Product Assortment & Investment Reviews and make data-driven recommendations for product additions, deletions, and enhancements.-Monitor and maintain stock levels, ensuring product availability and minimizing overstock situations to maximize sales & profit.-Train and mentor junior team members on merchandising best practices and company procedures.

-Assisted Buyer with the development and execution of merchandise strategy through historical analysis, competitive intelligence, and assortment planning-Responsible for data integrity throughout the product life cycle including buy preparation, order generation & management, and market selling-Patterned competitors and fashion leaders to better understand brand projection through analysis of overall assortment, fashion offering, and pricing/promotional cadence translates findings in season and applies takeaways to future line planning-Synthesized trend intelligence and determines its relevancy to brand strategy-Hindsight product performance postseason

-Supported the Traditional Dresses & Suits/Intimate Apparel Buyer to source and manage product assortment for a 35+ million member-base-Built relationships with suppliers to obtain the most sought after product at the lowest price-Analyzed competition, market research, sales trends, inventory and margin to achieve sales goals; confident in making strategic decisions under the pressure of meeting demanding targets-Recognized for quickly synthesizing sales data; pitched high level takeaways and recommended action steps through weekly presentations of Best & Worst Sellers and Event Recaps-Pitched new event franchises and strategic brand partnerships to the Fashion Team quarterly; an effort to drive and maximize volume-Actively supported Buyer in strategically filling Open-to-Buy: managed brand relations for 50% of the department’s portfolio-Expertise in merchandising, retail math, cost negotiation, pricing, Excel, Tableau, e-commerce-Gained meaningful buying experience within our Outdoor Active, Swimwear, Outerwear, Kid’s Footwear, Crafts & Toys, Traditional Dresses & Suits, and Intimate Apparel categories

-Processed and tracked a high volume of purchase orders for all Rue La La & GILT boutiques owned by the Traditional Dresses & Suits, Traditional Sportswear & Intimate Apparel Merchant teams-Maintained communication with vendors as their primary contact to ensure timely shipments to our fulfillment center & production studio; managed tight production deadlines-Provided accurate and timely updates to our Production team for purchase orders running in upcoming events. Communicated at-risk orders/dollars to merchandising and planning departments-Partnered with staff in Kentucky to resolve receiving issues and actioned quickly to troubleshoot damaged, missing or incorrect items sent to our fulfillment center-Recognized gaps in efficiencies and innovated new ways to streamline communication between cross-functional teams-Selected to spearhead a training sprint that broke down competencies within the role by formulating an onboarding guide as a resource to new hires; recognized for talent development

-Campus Concierge provides a single source of knowledge for all campus information within the High Point community-Obtained valuable communication, collaboration, prioritization, and editorial skills through respective work

-On Point Magazine is a bi-annual digital and print publication filled with inspiration and stylish cues: our team holds a strong belief in the concept of enclothed cognition; your personality fits your fashion and your aura-Grew the publication's readership through strategic marketing efforts by roughly 50%-Provided executive leadership & direction throughout the content curation journey-Lead a team of 20; collaborated to offer a strong and diverse collection of aspirational and highly visual media to the college student-Trend forecasting experience and a consistent eye for all things relevant to the millennial consumer-Bi-Annual Release Party & Fashion Show-Competent Writer; Copy-Editing Skills Obtained

-Worked directly with Bernhardt Design's international clients and escorted appointments through the showroom answering fabrication and pricing questions-Fluent in the brand's product assortment and learned the sales floor quickly-Developed strong rapport with buyers-Maintained showroom aesthetic and obtained hands-on sales experience

-Supported Traditional Sportswear Buyer in crafting chase buys to amplify in-season results-Analyzed brand identity, customer acquisition, sales tendencies, margin, turnaround, and exposure: reflected in strategic buys-Developed an understanding of key selling periods by department, category penetration as a percent of the total business, and the value of new brand partnerships as a way to drive volume

-Worked directly with creative director to oversee all logistical details in the production of the Columbus Book Project coffee table publication: a curation of product assortments among local fashion brands and boutiques-Communicated with talent, stylists and local designers via email to coordinate photoshoot operations -Created branding and trend boards utilizing Adobe Illustrator to compile inspirational images to hone in on the local, trendy fashion space

-Offered styling input to wide array of customer demographics on sales floor and in fitting rooms to support the consumer's wardrobe needs-Personally interacted with Visual & Merchandising executives on a regular basis to provide detailed on-site feedback in context to merchandising strategy-Enhanced product visibility and sales using creative visual merchandising techniques-Recognized for exemplary customer service and accommodation in sales technique

-Conducted extensive research on potential target markets for emerging graphic tee shirt brands: Street People Atelier and Art Girl NYC-Identified and assessed potential customer demographic and acquisition through a variety of innovative media platforms-Analyzed ideal customer profiles to generate detailed deck presentations for in-house trend forecasters

-Examined upcoming trends in the sleep, lounge, and lingerie markets to create style decks for merchant research and consumer acquisition-Attended 30+ executive buying meetings including size and fit appointments as well as product quality and assortment focus groups-Prepared presentation of product samples of final line review for senior leadership