April Shaffer Email and Phone Number

Co-Manager, $115M Annual Volume •Manage sales, profitability and customer experience in the store. •Manage, coach and develop an effective management staff, and a diverse, high performance team.•Manage the “always in stock” process.•Ensure the store operates in full compliance with applicable laws, regulation and company policies.

•Craft, $423M Annual Volume•Develop, execute and manage forecast processes, based on sales history, store activity, promotional schedule, assortment changes, and current market /competitive trends. Review and update the optimal targets for velocity codes, WOS inventory goals, vendor lead times, and order frequencies. •Work with various functional groups to identify and achieve optimum inventory levels at DCs and stores, to optimize service levels and inventory targets. Work with Buyer to adjust system settings to account for volume buys, seasonal lifts, factory seasonal shutdowns and POG changes. Work with CMT to ensure inventory levels are maintained at article/site level based on sales projections and inventory targets. Manage and execute processes for replenishment of basic articles, including collaboration with logistics to manage inventory flow. •Oversees development of sales, margin, and inventory financial plans and forecasts for their buyers in accordance with merchandise strategies and initiatives. This includes determining accuracy of plan/fcst, and reviewing inventory to ensure appropriate GMROI targets and receipts flow.•Developing team members. Coaches and develops a team of planners and analysts. Develops and communicates performance goals, evaluates performance, and provides constructive feedback on a timely basis.•Accountability for maintaining the Open to Buy (OTB) and informing/making recommendations to appropriate management before limits are exceeded, using forecasting process to ensure that OTB reflects proper purchase opportunities available to buyer.

•7/2013- 2/2015 Macys, (VA/MD/DC), Center Core, $61M Annual Volume•5/2009- 7/2013 Macys, Richmond, VA, Center Core, $32M Annual Volume•Drives sales, margin, and turn through rigorous analysis of the business and identification of localization opportunities. Direct assortment-related actions to the Regional Planning Manager/DPM/Central Planner. Organized by family of business and responsible for 13 stores.•Build seasonal financial merchandise plans by store/district, create short term & long term strategies to grow the business and build “My Macy’s” localization opportunities to drive incremental growth.•Partner with merchants recommending vendor matrix at store level, recommending assortment changes as needed. •Analyze space productivity by store/FOB, recommending changes where needed to drive sales.

•Drive Sales through consistent merchandise execution at store level. Responsible for communicating merchandise execution, strategies, and company initiatives to store teams. Organized by family of business and responsible for 11 stores, $32M annual volume.•Liaison between stores and central merchandise teams to communicate assortment opportunities, competitive market knowledge and localized event opportunities.•Coach and train store teams to drive sales through product knowledge, customer service and selling capabilities.

•Responsible for overall (P&L) financial performance of the store. Including merchandise sales, credit and other misc. revenues, expense management, and achievement of profitability goal.•Manage the customer experience in the store, the associate morale in the store, coach and develop an effective management staff, and a diverse, high performance team.•Ensure the store operates in full compliance with applicable laws, regulation and company policies.

•Managed store merchandise presentation standards, working with the dept. managers and associates on the standards.•Ad-set-up/takedown, planogram execution, price change/markdown procedures and liquidating old merchandise. Ensured all signing was in place both promotional and basic signing.•Customer service manager responsibilities making sure the customer experience was positive and coaching associates as needed, opening and closing the store, inventory management, hr issues.

•Project manager working with the music/movies/video games/software/toys department. Also coordinate with merchandising department to define needs for each project in terms of fixtures, signs and timelines.•One of my primary responsibilities is to coordinate and schedule projects with the various groups involved to make sure everything is running smoothly and that all elements arrive in the stores on time.•Liaison between the Space Planning, Merchandising and creative/marketing company. Communicate changes and updates to all parties involved.

•Responsible for meeting and/or exceeding store sales targets. Hold store associates accountable for achievement of sales productivity goals.•Identify, communicate, and act upon merchandise assortment opportunities and issues.•Ensure store associates consistently follow Talbot’s Customer Service Standards.•Provide leadership through personal example for excellence in customer service.•Ensure all company policies, procedures, and guidelines are understood and consistently followed.

•New store opening Product Knowledge and Selling Skills training manager•Work at new store site and recruiting office 3 months prior to store opening.•One of my primary functions is to coordinate and schedule approximately 300 vendors to facilitate training for our new associates in the store pre-store opening.•Also facilitate orientation classes, basic and advanced point of sale classes, basic and advanced selling skills classes and basic internal computer programs necessary for associates’ specific position in the store.•Remain in store post soft opening and grand opening to ensure new associates are comfortable and knowledgeable before I begin at the next new store site.

•Associate Buyer for Handbags, Small Leather Goods, and Cold Weather.•Sales volume of $90.0 million dollars annually in 800+ stores across the nation.•Assist in the development of product and the negotiation of cost to include subsidies, and terms.•Help establish new, and maintain existing relationships with suitable vendors, as well as the resolution of termination of vendor relationships when appropriate.•Assist in the creation of assortments for all Full-Line Stores and assist in planogram creation.•Help to establish promotional candidates and pricing. Proof all photos and written copy; verify photography, stock numbers and pricing.•Maintain productive inventories, establish affordable liquidation plans, and edit assortments.•Work with buyers, line planners, and merchandise analysts to estimate and forecast sales, inventory levels, promotional programs and department strategy.•Manage the complexity of multiple resources, high volatility of small tickets fashion lines in both name brand and private label business.

•Sales volume of $30.0 million dollars annually.•Monitor sales, inventory, profitability and open to buy by store in 800+ stores.•Analyze store performance for specific product and assort merchandise accordingly to stores by sales and stock needs.•Store support contact person for stores with questions regarding sales, inventory, market focus issues and merchandise presentation.•Work as a team with both placement and buying departments to estimate and forecast sales, inventory levels, promotional programs and overall department strategy.•Functioned as associate buyer in costume jewelry due to a long term vacancy in this position.