Steve Debber Email & Phone Number

Jonesboro, Ar, Us

Jonesboro, Arkansas Area

Fresno, California Area

Responsible for store operations and revenue growth for California, Hawaii and Arizona. • Staffed and trained new specialists, engaged with existing and future clients, and created a member first culture.• Responsible for labor and expenses; monitored inventory and unit integrity.• Partnered with Sam’s Health & Wellness Team to enhance customer experience throughout the store. • Created and developed advanced training for Hearing Apprentices to obtain licensure, then adopted by other areas.

Led Soft-lines departments in all Kmart units in the United States, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Hawaii, and Guam with a focus on maximizing sales and equalizing inventories.• Facilitated interaction between departments (E-Commerce, Buying, Marketing, Sales, Inventory Management, Logistics and Operations) to support Soft-lines department initiatives.• Reduced Soft-lines inventory while increasing assortment increasing customer service scores. • Developed workshops for on hands training, improving CSAT scores significantly.• Created web-based training for apparel standards and merchandise displays.

Promoted to comprehensive management of multi-billion dollar revenue region for Sears Holdings Corporation. • Drove operational excellence for 122 retail units, while leading 13 District Managers, 400 salaried management and over 12K associates.• Developed customer centric, hands on web-based training curriculum for merchandising expertise, reducing turnover. • Directed Sales in Store and E-Commerce while Leading Corporate Programs, P&L, Human Resources, Financial Planning, Shrink Management, Restaurant and Pharmacy Operations.• Created labor forecasting that achieved improvements in the P&L, and performed monthly deep dive analysis and which increased EBITDA significantly. • Directed E-Commerce in one of the first regional Locations. Achieved double digit sales growth through managed performance.• Developed Policies and Procedures that enhanced payroll productivity and ensured consistent adherence during roll outs and pilots. Provided feedback for the final design. This tool has been used across the company.• Reduced Workman’s Compensation and Public Liability in the Region markedly, well below the Corporate average.• Inventory Shrink was decreased appreciably year over year.• Reviewed and decreased variable expenses considerably to enhance profitability.• Certified facilitator for Partners in Leadership, Inc.; Culture Ambassador certified.

Directed sales, contribution margin, in-stock and inventory turnover for highest volume / profitability Region at Sears Holding Corporation with 84 retail units.• Improved inventory turnover significantly, focusing on highest risk merchandise, improved processes and SKU rationalization.• Built merchandise flow and climatic tiers for the Merchant Group, which improved overall profitability considerably. • Spearheaded productive centralized seasonal assortments through coordination with corporate/field personnel resulting in improved sell-throughs and profitability.• Increased sales notably by creating neighborhood merchandising and marketing; assortments were fine tuned to react to the local customer metrics. • Launched well-received and efficient Geo-Demographic programs addressing demands of specialized markets resulting in an increase in transactions and gross margins dramatically.• Restructured corporate assortments ensuring in-stock status for high demand items. • Customer in stock percentages rose markedly. Developed, implemented, and maintained upgraded item pricing structures while remaining very competitive and profitable. • Built vendor relationships to enhance customer needs and wants and to lower the costs of merchandise measurably.• Teamed up with merchants and vendor partners to developed school uniform program for the company which produced a YoY growth of double digit sales.

• District Manager for 12 stores and multi-millions in annual sales including Super Centers (grocery stores) and traditional Kmart hard-lines and soft-line formats. (4 years) • Led two regions SHC simultaneously, ending the year 1st and 2nd in sales and profit.• Responsible for 40 states in various positions over the course of my Kmart career.• On-boarded new Senior Executives to Kmart Corporation, including 2 CEOs and 12 EVPs and top merchants.• Developed training programs for Store Manager Training Academy.• Facilitated business development and shrink through a daily and monthly focus to improve year over year shrink.• Coached, developed, and managed highly effective employee and support management teams.• Demonstrated competence in P&L, labor forecasting, shrink control and inventory management.• Created a culture through training and perseverance whereby Customer Service became an integral component of the Region.• Partnered with March of Dimes and St Jude’s Children’s Hospitals to enhance Community Involvement.