Vindya Alahapperuma Email & Phone Number

St Paul, MN

• Participated in implementation of clustered assortment optimization to have products relevant to customer base, thereby driving sales.
• Defined demographic store clusters starting with Nielsen Spectra data and intersecting customer purchase-behavior data.
• Reviewed product metrics across clusters, looking at both internal and external data, to customize assortment for different store clusters.
• Used item level space productivity metrics to determine if an item, brand, or category segment might be over or under spaced versus its sales contributions.
• Presented data driven assortment recommendations to merchandising teams to improve category performance

Eden Prairie

• Utilize multiple data sources (both internal POS and syndicated) and knowledge of analytics to identify trends and opportunities for multiple teams in Private Brands department.
• Responsible for analyzing Private Brand performance compared total category, and building a scoredard presentation for company executives every fiscal period
• Identified potential sales and margin opportunities for proposed new Private Brand items
• Tracked effects of a new Private Brand launches to identify trends and product cannibalization
• Assisted Product Managers in completing a brand strategy plan using analytics to show trends
• Reviewed categories with declining Private Brand sales; made recommendations based on my findings

• Grocery merchandising activities related to promotions, displays, item launches and shelf resets
• Planned promotions and store displays in conjunction with vendor partners; ensured funding was in place to cover promotional activity
• Accurately projected sales for upcoming promotions, accounting for seasonality and trends
• Conducted analysis on sales volume fluctuations due to significant promotional activity
• Activley involved in the new item process, working with vendors and internal teams to get new items set up and planograms updated for timely shelf execution at store level

• Collaborated with Account Executives on client management activities.
• Guide Account Executives on order fulfillment alternatives to help them in sales activities.
• Monitor outgoing orders for quality and accuracy
• Generate reports to assist in future decision making (response rates, sales/book, cross purchasing, catalog interaction, and marketshare summaries) Selected for President's Leadership Forum in 2006

Asissited Buyers, Business Analysts, and vendors with administration of department duties.

General hotel marketing such as preparing hotel informational kits, designing and mailing promotional flyers for special group rates, managing sales leads from the city and from the convention center, etc.

Characterized polymer samples by thermal (MDSC, TGA) and molecular weight (GPC).

Masters, Business Communications

Bachelors, Chemistry