Christopher Foust
Frederick,MD
Summary
Forward-thinking team leader skilled at operating departments efficiently to meet goals. Successful background matching employees with roles for maximum performance. Proactive and hardworking individual focused on continuous operational improvement. Looking to apply 15+ years of retail and category management experience to a new position that will allow me to further grow, challenge myself, and contribute to the success of a team supporting those in the natural products industry.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Operations Manager
MOM's Organic Market
03.2024 - Current
- Assists the General Manager with the overall operations of the store
- Manages the training and development of team members, all cash room operations, and inventory stocking procedures
- Empower employees to take ownership of their responsibilities, leading to increased accountability and improved performance outcomes.
Category Manager: Body Care, Textiles, and Lifestyle
MOM's Organic Market
05.2022 - 03.2024
- Managed the product selection of the body care, textiles, and lifestyle products in all 23 locations of MOM's Organic Market
- Brought in new, innovative products that met the strict ingredient standards that are maintained by MOM's and met the needs of the customers while also favoring sustainability in the packaging, ingredient sourcing, and or production methods
- Successfully increased sales by 9% year-over-year
- Helped control COGS by working with vendors and brokers to engage in various promotional and EDLP agreements
- Worked with different distributors and direct vendors to maintain a strong pricing structure for the department
- Utilized a variety of data sources to review the performance of products, brands, sub categories, stores, etc
- Used Microsoft Excel extensively in order to interpret the trends and act accordingly
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop promotional campaigns that effectively increased category awareness and sales growth
- Attended various road shows throughout the year to maintain important face time with brand representatives and keep my finger on the pulse of new innovation in the categories
- Managed a diverse portfolio of products, ensuring optimal mix between high-margin items and cost-effective options for customers
- Monitored industry trends to identify new business opportunities and emerging product categories for expansion.
Wellness Department Manager
MOM's Organic Market
12.2018 - 05.2022
- Oversaw inventory management processes, maintaining optimal stock levels while minimizing waste and losses due to shrink
- Reduced waste totals by 40% in my first year
- Involved extensive coaching and training of the team members on a constant basis as customer service is an important aspect of the MOM's experience in Wellness
- Trained and developed a total of nine Wellness assistant managers, three of which went on to manage their own departments
- Ordered product from 150+ different suppliers and developed strong relationships with suppliers, securing better deals and ensuring timely deliveries.
Assistant Manager
LUSH Cosmetics
06.2012 - 10.2016
- Was the Manager in Training at the Columbia, MD shop starting in August 2012, assisting the general manager
- Had a hand in all day-to-day operations of the shop such as customer service, ordering/inventory management, writing schedules, training, hiring/recruiting and marketing
- Supervised day-to-day operations to meet performance, quality and service expectations
- Gained extensive knowledge of the products, ingredients, sources, inspirations and effects, working closely with customers to get to know their needs and preferences to effectively suggest the correct products
- Was the acting store manager for over one and a half years during my time with the company
- Had a 22% lift in sales
- Took part in other projects such as the hiring for two new locations
- Supported a nearby location through the holiday season while they were without a Store Manager and MIT.
Service Desk Supervisor
The Home Depot
03.2006 - 05.2012
- Worked my way up from Cashier to Service Desk Supervisor throughout my career, held various positions in between spanning from Appliances, Décor, Door Installations and Special Services
- Built relationships with vendors, installers, freight agencies and management/associates across the store in order to provide the best service to all customers
- Supervised teams of six to twelve associates; was responsible for their ongoing training and development in addition to the success of the department
- Gained in-depth knowledge of the products and services in short periods of time in order to thoroughly and effectively coach others.
Education
High School Diploma -
Hanford High School
Hanford, CaliforniaSkills
- Passionate Leader
- Self-driven
- Team collaboration
- Inventory Management
- Point of Sale
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
- Category Management
- Hiring process
- Problem-Solving
- Team Leadership
- Operations Management
- Customer Service
Timeline
Operations Manager
MOM's Organic Market
03.2024 - Current
Category Manager: Body Care, Textiles, and Lifestyle
MOM's Organic Market
05.2022 - 03.2024
Wellness Department Manager
MOM's Organic Market
12.2018 - 05.2022
Assistant Manager
LUSH Cosmetics
06.2012 - 10.2016
Service Desk Supervisor
The Home Depot
03.2006 - 05.2012
High School Diploma -
Hanford High School
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