Ashley Madigan

• Developed merchandising strategies to enhance product visibility and customer engagement.
• Analyzed market trends to identify opportunities for product assortment adjustments.
• Conducted store visits to assess compliance with merchandising standards and guidelines.
• Implemented visual merchandising techniques to create appealing shopping environments.
• Trained, supervised and evaluated staff to optimize their performance levels.
• Strong focus on customer experience and sales execution. Supports specific Private Label categories through analysis & development of marketing plans; product promotions; advertising; in-store displays; merchandising strategies; inventory forecasting and category support ensuring products are displayed effectively and strategically to maximize sales providing a wide range of merchandising and operational services for Kroger's General Office, 22 Divisions, and 2,500 Stores across the United States.
• Lead and manage Merchandising Team Project Manager, Analyst and Assistant Sales Personnel through product inception to shelf placement and maintenance of items ensuring deadlines are met, identifying risks, and documents action items during all phases of projects. Partners with Project Team and Suppliers to achieve profitable timely launches and maintenance of current items in stock position.
• Lead point of contact with supply partners to identify the opportunity of executing new business promotions that would bring Kroger additional households and sales to the category by providing high quality items with differentiation from the current marketplace assortments.
• Lead in identifying potential roadblocks in a project, while helping to provide and execute solutions with the team.
• Develops and executes merchandising strategies to drive sales and enhance customer experience. Diverse procurement and category management experiences in different industries including health and beauty care, grocery/food, specialty retailing, and private label servicing while meeting production and sales time targets to maximize category performance within Private Label owned branding.
• Negotiates with vendors to ensure that products are available, and that pricing is competitive.
• Supports cross-functional teams in the execution of pricing and space analysis, supply chain management, and packaging management.

• Assisted CSM in delivering and maintaining consistent product quality within brand promise, including being an active voice in product development, sourcing, reformulations, and packaging from product ideation to delivery on shelf.
• Supported specific Private Label products and categories through analysis & development of marketing plans; product promotions; advertising; in-store displays; merchandising strategies; inventory forecasting and category support. In partnership with my CSM, I effectively communicate food, culture, category, and product trends to facilitate OB product development by reviewing trending data consistently within our team internally and externally with our suppliers. Initiated conversations on top selling SKUs and innovation asks with our partners and potential suppliers we wish to on-board into the enterprise in the future. We routinely spoke with Category Management, capturing their desires for a new trend or an opportunity for white space in Our Brands Assortment. Built close relationships with our Category Management ensuring conversations were organic and often. Presented new trends before further pursuing to ensure we are spending our time and efforts where they’re best utilized. Created all kick-off documents.
• Facilitated & lead Project Review Meetings, identifying risks, and documents action items during all phases of projects. Partnered with Project Team and suppliers to achieve profitable timely launches of new items and maintenance of current items.
• Assisted CSM with planning and execution of projects including project ideation, creating project plan pipelines for future business.
• Communicated directly with Project Team and suppliers regarding Sourcing current and future projects, timelines of actions, while coordinating the hand-off of deliverable. Facilitated and drove projects through the process to achieve project milestones within established timeframes.
• Generated UPCs and documentation required to get new items to shelf while being Kompass compliant. Managed projects to be complete and on time for all required tasks on or ahead of time as much as possible while communicating with cross function team of required expectations.
• Lead point of contact for suppliers to identify the opportunity of executing new business that would bring Kroger additional households and sales to the category by providing high quality items with differentiation from the current marketplace offerings. Ensuring sourcing from raw materials to finished goods.
• Lead in identifying potential roadblocks in a project and helping to provide and execute solutions with the team.
• Actively made Process Improvements/Efficiencies for both PL Marketing and Kroger. Personally initiated and wrote a Standard Operational Procedure for GTIN/IMFs for item set up process. I pride myself on identifying opportunities and providing solution-based suggestions.

• Managed Top Accounts and Clientele with one of the largest Digital Marketing printing facility houses in the US. Operated as the lead point of contact for all matters specific to clients. Accountable for relations, quoting and sales from order to completion throughout total production. Developed companywide SOP training documentation and account training that was utilized for onboarding internally and externally for clients like Budweiser, Coke, and Victoria Secret. Created and executed training of all Customer Sales Representatives. Created companywide rollouts to teach feature enhancement rollouts. Onboarded clients and built custom ordering catalogs. Established Printing Operations SOPs for enterprise. Owned and executed training in its entirety. Managed the strategy and business relationships ensuring a positive, and profitable outcome. Negotiated rate contracts to maximize profits. Ensured the timely and successful delivery of advertisement productions such as fleet vehicles, transit wraps, building wraps, billboards and grand format marketing products. Self-managed; directly reported to Director of Operations and owner of Larger Than Life.

• Created profitable, exclusive, Owned-Brand Private Label merchandise and managed designer partnerships for one of the nation's most respected retailers in the USA.
• Project Design and Development: Project Management team for a multi-million-dollar brand, Cat & Jack, Infant Toddler, and Big Girl area of excellence.
• Operated constructively within a matrix organization, ultimately driving aligned and clear expectations for the organization. Responsible for understanding overall project management, owned communication with business partners, managed a collaborative team environment and relationships with team and key business partners. Owned and created calendar tasks/dependencies. I identified opportunities for efficiencies and assessed risk when calendar changes occurred and communicated impact to Cross Functional Team. Ensured project work plan aligns with product development calendars & adjusted in-cycle calendars as needed. Owned training of incoming APMs and Specialist. Held position on role improvement commodity which helped map out the career path and training opportunities for our product and development team.

Owned all garment, trim, and artwork approvals, communication, and vendor management between the design team and vendor partners throughout the development process. Communicated information to both domestic and overseas vendors for any technical updates to be made before production. There was a fine balance of organization and close attention to each small detail which helped the process mature into production. Partnered with the Product Development Manager, Product Design and Development Design teams, TSS business teams, overseas offices and Merchandising Execution. Tracked all components as they arrive from vendors through production. Owned creation of reporting to ensure organizational efficiencies for leadership on production status. Held position on role improvement commodity which helped map out the career path and training opportunities for our product and development team.

Booked freight with ocean carriers by collaborating with Origin offices.
Created required documentation, including OBLs, Seaway Bills, commercial invoices, and NAFTA certificates.
Piloted Navigation system to identify flaws and opportunities for operational efficiency.
Tracked containers from origin port to final destination, ensuring timely arrivals.
Provided clear written and verbal instructions to all shipment stakeholders.
Negotiated rates and verified accuracy of assessorial charges for FCL/LCL bookings.
Coordinated with dock personnel during loading of pallet shipments alongside dispatchers.
Maintained hazmat certification for handling pesticides and paints for Customs clearance.