Erik Thompson
Minneapolis,MN
Summary
Strategic professional with robust background in developing high-impact strategic initiatives and formulating into actionable business plans to enhance organizational performance and drive topline growth. Adept at analyzing market trends, identifying white space opportunities to differentiate against the competition, and formulate into actionable plans that deliver consumers' needs and create industry leading demand.
Skilled in project management, and leveraging data insights to drive results. Demonstrated expertise in critical thinking and effective communication to align team efforts with corporate objectives. Strong focus on team collaboration and adaptability, ensuring consistent achievement of goals. And proven ability to navigate complex challenges and deliver results in fast-paced environments.
Overview
2017
2017
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior LGBTQIA+ Segmentation Strategist & Pride
Target
2023 - 2025
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop and execute strategic initiatives aligned with organizational objectives
- Provided actionable insights based on data-driven analysis, enabling informed decision-making across all levels of the organization
- Implemented innovative solutions for optimizing processes, resulting in increased efficiency and reduced costs
- Engaged in continuous process improvement efforts that led to more efficient workflows saving both time and resources
Buyer – Beauty & Cosmetics (Suncare and Hand & B
Target
2019 - 2023
- Designed industry-leading go-to-market strategies for U.S. mass retail skincare, driving category growth, rewriting industry standards, and elevating brand positioning across diverse consumer segments
- Led Merchandising & Buying for three multimillion-dollar businesses within Target Beauty & Cosmetics, owning category strategy, vendor partnerships, P&L, and inclusive assortment development across national brands
- Oversaw new product development and merchandising innovation, curating category-wide assortments aligned to consumer needs and market trends across the U.S. mass retail landscape
- Developed strong relationships with suppliers to secure favorable pricing terms and conditions for the company's benefit Directed vendor negotiations and global brand collaborations, delivering profitable, guest-centric assortments across the enterprise
Associate Buyer – Men’s Sportswear
Target
2016 - 2019
- Built two owned brands from concept to launch, leading guest research, assortment architecture, and line planning to capture new white space opportunities
- Led strategy for Men’s graphic license tees, balancing core properties with trend-right newness to drive volume and align with specialty retail at mass price points
- Drove Young Men’s apparel growth, curating Gen Z–focused assortments to capture incremental market share and fuel brand relevance.
- Led Target’s 2018 & 2019 Pride collections, shaping inclusive product strategy that solidified Target as a category leader, earning loyalty from LGBTQIA+ and allied guests
- Curated trend-forward assortments, leveraging consumer insights and market data to drive sell-through, profitability, and cohesive multi-channel execution
Senior Business Analyst, Women's RTW - Target.com
Target
11.2015 - 08.2016
- Expanded Target’s digital-exclusive brand presence by optimizing assortment extensions, improving demand forecasting, and refining allocation models to reduce out-of-stocks and boost conversion
- Created enterprise-wide .com systems and trainings, serving as digital subject matter expert and upskilling cross-functional partners in e-commerce insights and best practices
- Managed stakeholder expectations through transparent communication and timely status updates, ensuring alignment between project deliverables and business objectives.
- Built new social media advertising process as Apparel & Accessories Ad Captain, aligning Merchandising and Marketing teams to drive cohesive site experience and improve digital promo inventory support from 40% to 90%
- Created detailed user stories for system enhancements, leading to improved functionality and user satisfaction.
- Mentored new hires, delivering onboarding, financial, and technical training to accelerate development and enhance merchandising acumen
Merchandise Planning Business Analyst –Women’s RTW
Target
06.2014 - 11.2015
- Managed inventory strategy across Target’s omni-channel enterprise, leveraging sales trends and forecasting to drive sales and margin impact
- Led digital promo strategy as Ad Captain, building new supply chain fulfillment models to improve on-site guest experience and promotional execution; and served as Forecast captain during leadership transition, ensuring continuity and accuracy across shifting org structures
- Delivered 4.1% YTD Green Out-of-Stock rate, significantly outperforming 16.4% goal, driving process improvements, identifying system gaps and enhancing team operations developing training documentation to scale knowledge and efficiency
- Optimized SKU assortment, aligning to seasonality and consumer demand to maximize sell-through, collaboratively negotiating with vendors and enhancing replenishment accuracy and strengthening supply chain collaboration on top-performing SKUs
Stores Executive Team Lead Intern
Target
05.2013 - 08.2013
- Spearheaded weekly department sales reports translating into store-level merchandising strategies for department teams to maximize sales
- Managed a cross-functional team of professionals, ensuring timely completion of projects and optimal resource allocation, organizing tasks, assisting teams and leading department huddles
- Established a culture of continuous improvement that encouraged innovation while mitigating risk factors within the organization, streamlining operational structure for Guest-Service Department and conducting interviews for new team members
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Business Marketing & Organizational Communication
Concordia College, Moorhead
05-2014
Skills
- Retail Buying
- Go-to-Market Strategy
- Brand Management
- Assortment & Financial Planning
- Consumer Segmentation
- Data & Analytics
- Innovation & Trend Forecasting
- Vendor Negotiations
- Digital E-commerce
Certification
The Gap Partnership Negotiation Training Program - The Complete Skilled Negotiator – Program Certification 2017
Timeline
Senior Business Analyst, Women's RTW - Target.com
Target
11.2015 - 08.2016
Merchandise Planning Business Analyst –Women’s RTW
Target
06.2014 - 11.2015
Stores Executive Team Lead Intern
Target
05.2013 - 08.2013
Senior LGBTQIA+ Segmentation Strategist & Pride
Target
2023 - 2025
Buyer – Beauty & Cosmetics (Suncare and Hand & B
Target
2019 - 2023
Associate Buyer – Men’s Sportswear
Target
2016 - 2019
Bachelor of Arts - Business Marketing & Organizational Communication
Concordia College, Moorhead