Carolyn Sheppard
Portland,Oregon
Summary
Astute product manager experienced in developing color stories and seasonal themes, tracking color and style trends, and identifying market-savvy products and compelling product assortments. Broad background in home decor, home textiles, gift, and toy industries.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Buyer
Hearthsong (Children's Group, LLC)
Madison, VA
03.2023 - 10.2023
- Selected and managed assortment plans of all products outside of Hearthsong brand
- Established drop-ship partnership program’s integration platform and operational parameters
- Identified and developed manufacturer partnerships for products complementary to Hearthsong brand
- Created marketing campaigns to focus on specific products, increase sales and draw in new customers to Hearthsong site.
Owner/Buyer
Oodles 4 Kids
Portland, Oregon
04.2012 - 01.2020
- Founded, bought for, and managed successful 2,400-SF neighborhood toy, book, and baby store
- Exceeded national average of toy-store revenue per square foot within 1.5 years through extensive use of Excel and pivot tables to strategically manage open-to-buy, cash flow, forecasting, assortment planning, margin, and budget management
- More than doubled sales volume in Year 2
- Doubled store's footprint and inventory in Year 3
- Increased sales by 38% within four months of expansion
- Wells Fargo Small Business Awards, 2014: Received two awards ($1,000 and $10,000) for small business excellence and connection to community
- Represented Wells Fargo in three months of 2-page magazine ads (Fast Company, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Inc.) and video
- Received SCORE Small Business $1,000 award for business excellence
- Created annual, 32-page holiday catalog sent to 20,000 homes
- Sold store at strong profit, ensured store's legacy, and secured employees' jobs.
Buyer/Principal
Sense of Home
08.2008 - 04.2012
- Created first retail home decor and furnishings website organized by color and personal style vignettes
- Developed design, layout, and flow of site
- Maintained blog with sticky articles on design, color, and décor trends
- Increased sales by 78% and margin by 3% in Year 2
- Established and managed drop-ship relationships with décor vendors
- Negotiated pricing and vendor allowances with key vendors.
Product Development Merchandiser
Fred Meyer/Kroger
01.2006 - 10.2008
- Directed Li & Fung merchandisers and buyers in seasonal color/design/style of private-label products
- Managed product development of direct-import, private-label indoor and outdoor decorative accessories, wall décor, lighting, and home textiles (rugs, bath, and bedding)
- Monitored competition and market trends, providing color, design, and innovation insight to buyers
- Adopted and adapted new RFQ software to manage product development
- Oversaw Asia buying trips and worked closely with Li & Fung merchandisers to source products.
Buyer/Product Manager
Custom Decorators
01.2004 - 11.2005
- Selected 500 fabrics to be color coordinated with Devine Paint window treatment line
- Grew Costco's $9M line of custom-made window treatments and home-textile products, with double-digit increases each year
- Built private-label brand of window treatment constructions
- Created specifications, margins, pricing, catalog, samples, and selling system for 200+ designers nationally
- Negotiated and managed costs, pricing, and margins with fabric distributors and workrooms.
National Sales Manager
Newport Layton Home Fashions, Fiori Brand
01.1996 - 01.1998
- Launched new division of upscale (high margin) pillows and top of bed for mass-market leader in home textiles and created $1M+ of high-margin sales within first year and a half after launch
- Selected fabrics and product constructions, set pricing and margins, created product catalogs, and designed for key accounts, and negotiated pricing
- Hired and managed regional showrooms and rep teams.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism
University of Oregon
Skills
- Color Trend Direction
- Market Intuition
- Assortment Planning
- Product Development
- Product Ideation
- Product Presentations
- Budget Management
- Action Plan Creation
- Workflow Management
- Team Communication
- Supplier Negotiation
- Problem Solving
Timeline
Senior Buyer
Hearthsong (Children's Group, LLC)
03.2023 - 10.2023
Owner/Buyer
Oodles 4 Kids
04.2012 - 01.2020
Buyer/Principal
Sense of Home
08.2008 - 04.2012
Product Development Merchandiser
Fred Meyer/Kroger
01.2006 - 10.2008
Buyer/Product Manager
Custom Decorators
01.2004 - 11.2005
National Sales Manager
Newport Layton Home Fashions, Fiori Brand
01.1996 - 01.1998
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism
University of Oregon
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