Donna Patula

Responsible for overall sales of Deli, Bakery & Prepared foods products to wholesale Non Banner customers for American Seaway.

Composed weekly sales ads for several wholesale customer groups such as Sparkle Markets, Golden Dawn, Community Markets.

Additional responsibilities:

• Conducted product demonstrations for potential clients, showcasing unique product features and benefits which led to increased sales.
• Managed territory effectively, strategically prioritizing accounts and allocating resources accordingly for optimal results.
• Provided exceptional customer service resulting in high levels of customer satisfaction and repeat business.
• Increased sales revenue by developing and maintaining strong client relationships

Assigned to special projects in Deli Merchandising office

Assist Deli & Cheese Category Managers

• Provide data comparison on movement trends and weekly ad plan results.
• Contact vendors for new product, product procurement samples and additional product information.
• Assist with holiday planning and communication to the store teams.
• Attend all weekly meetings with Deli Merchandising team.

Assist Merchandising Mgr.

• Assist with all resets & plan o grams for merchandising Deli displays.
• Assist with updating Deli recipes for party trays /products made in store to meet with QA standards.

Model Store

• Write merchandising plan to showcase weekly promo displays
• Write script for merchandising team to present on weekly video for stores to follow
• Present weekly ad plan to executive team on model store walk if needed.
• Coach Deli Team leaders on meeting the expectations of weekly merchandising plan

Weekly Deli and Cheese ad plans

• Review all Deli signage
• Write weekly Deli Merchandising note's to give direction to Deli Team Leaders on meeting the expectations of sales plan.
• Write weekly Cheese Shop Merchandising note's to give direction to Cheese Shop Team Leaders on meeting the expectations of sales plan.

Over 35 years experience in the retail food industry. professional history includes holding positions such as Deli Team Leader in numerous Giant Eagle locations. Most notably is my 10 plus years of experience as a Regional Deli / Prepared Foods Specialist for both Corporate and Independent locations.

• Demonstrated exceptional leadership skills by coaching/mentoring junior team members on various aspects of the deli business — from product knowledge/customer service techniques to operational best practices/regulatory compliance measures.
• Championed continuous improvement initiatives within the deli operation; proactively identified inefficiencies/gaps within existing workflows/processes and developed effective solutions accordingly.
• Managed daily operations of the deli department, including staff scheduling, ordering supplies, maintaining equipment, and ensuring quality control measures were met.
• Deli Team Leader Certified Trainer
• Performed Remodel / Grand openings in Specialist role
• Maintained OSHA & Safe Food Handling to be in compliance, reducing the risk of potential accidents and or food borne illness.