Diane Bechtel

• Global Merchant-Collaborate with teams around the world.
• Supervised team of 6 personnel, delivering effective and monitoring of day to day business of 300 million dollar area.
• Determine product and pricing strategy for all stores and ecommerce channels.
• Innovative leader -developed product and pricing plans for new pop up store concept to drive additional sales in soft business environment
• Developed product purchasing and sales strategies according to company budgets.
• Collaborate on Marketing and Media strategy
• Analyzed buying trends at each store location to identify appropriate mix of inventory items for top-tier sales.
• Presented new merchandise ideas and campaigns to company executives and managers.
• Develop several tool to assist team with assortment planning and markdowns

Responsible for purchasing Champion and Casual Sportswear for the Hanes Brands 6.8 Billion dollars company -234 Retail Outlet Stores and Ecommerce

• Worked closely with company executives to identify new business opportunities and routinely participated in sales process
• Created and executed marketing/PR campaigns, including new product introductions and existing product development
• Analyzed product, market and share trends to evaluate competitive market strategies
• Ability to Drives sales
• Assessed changes and determined proper courses of action by collaborating with suppliers
• Worked closely with product managers to plan special buys
• Devised and implemented strategies to promote business growth, penetrate new segments in business and improve current standards and initiatives.

• Analyze sales trends to maximize sales potential for company $250 million + departments; sales increase 6%.
•Research competitive landscape and managed over 65 vendors.

•Negotiate financial agreement; achieved highest gross margin in apparel @55%
•Perform detailed analysis of high and low performing products. Reduced 40% of sku count.

• Manage departments open to buy forecast. Achieved highest return on investment( ROI) in company

•Developed and directed strategy for launch of 6 Private label Swim brands product lines that became #1 in the assortment mix and 50% of product mix in 2 years.

• Responsible for buying and execution of product for E-commerce and site content, increased penetration from 14% to 25%.

•Managed 9 person team.

• Development and execution of advertising and marketing programs that produced items that were 10% of company sales volume.

• Result driven: Received 7 Pacesetter Awards in a 12 year time period.

•Responsible for the management and direction of a 12 person buying staff for a 60 store division. 

• Developed financial plans, marketing and advertising strategies for the division.  

•Communicated objectives and merchandising presentation to Store Management.

•Negotiated for gross margin and advertising contracts for division.

•Delivered financial objectives through partnerships and negotiations for $100 million area.

•Responsible for the management and direction of buying staff of the 22 store division, 35 million dollar area.  

•Ensure that buyers provided stores with the proper plans and assortments.  

•Communicated the merchandise direction at all levels.

•Managed purchases to have appropriate flow of merchandise relative to sales opportunities of the 30 million dollar area.

• Directed Belk Divisions on trends and opportunities.  Acquired markdown and co op dollars for divisions. 

• Developed strong private label packages.