FRANCISCO RAMIREZ
San Francisco,CA
Summary
I am inspired by working in an environment where I can drive change, exchange ideas with brilliant people & accomplish the impossible. A results-driven leader with a strong background in merchandising, category development, e-commerce, marketing, and P&L ownership. I possess an innate ability to build & work with high-performing customer-obsessed teams that can continuously rise to the challenge of a fast-paced & changing market. A proven track record of growing sales across multiple departments/categories in retail & omni-channel through a combination of data analysis, ongoing negotiations & effective collaboration working with amazing retailers like Home Depot, Amazon & Walmart.com. I also love spending time traveling to new places, experiencing new cultures & doing challenging fun things like bike riding 550 miles as part of the AIDS/LifeCycle. Enjoy spending time at home with my dog and two cats.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Buyer
Pottery Barn
04.2023 - Current
- Omni channel leader of proprietary Windows category (Drapes, Shades, Hardware) and Market place leader Home Textiles category (Bath Softlines, Bedding, Home Furnishing & Rugs)
- Responsible for $170M in annual sales & the P&L for these departments
- Lead merchandising execution for seasonal launches of proprietary & private brand assortments in Windows category by identifying new product needs based on gaps in assortment and price points while partnering with Product Development & Sourcing team to successfully adopt and launch each season
- Lead cross-functional teams that include Planning, Sourcing, Ecomm & store visual merchandising to successfully launch new assortment online and in stores that strategically aligns with company financial goals and meeting our customers’ retail and quality expectations
- Manage and guide a 3 buyer business team to meet aggressive sales growth plan in a fast & dynamic environment by providing foundational career development, a clear vision & goals in an inspirational environment.
- Performed extensive vendor and supplier research to identify cost-effective options and product availability
- Reviewed proposals, qualified vendors, and recommended optimal suppliers
- Analyzed inventory usage and assessed trends to provide maximum coverage for each time period
- Managed vendor purchase order dispatch, delivery, and invoicing to set contractual guidelines and maintain budgetary regulations
- Forecasted purchasing trends and improved merchandising strategies
- Developed new strategies to reduce purchasing costs and maintain quality standards
- Built long-term supplier relationships with vendors to establish quality and competitive pricing
- Tracked inventory shipments and prepared spreadsheets detailing item information
- Designed and implemented process improvements to streamline purchasing process
- Analyzed current vendors and products to stay abreast of market trends and evaluate new suppliers
- Prepared detailed reports to highlight inventory levels, purchase orders and discrepancies
- Developed and improved account relationships
- Developed cost-effective purchasing strategies to maintain inventory levels and improve operational procedures
- Computed and created purchase orders to monitor stock levels, verify purchase requisitions and expedite customer orders
- Employed expert inventory management and oversight skills to formulate business metrics and meet corporate goals
- Managed and maintained purchase orders and invoices
- Established relationships with vendors to secure competitive pricing and discounts
- Analyzed sales and inventory data to determine purchasing needs and reorder points
- Prepared and analyzed reports to track inventory and purchasing trends
- Researched and identified new suppliers and vendors
- Evaluated product quality and vendor performance to maintain quality standards
- Monitored and analyzed sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns
- Devised and implemented policies and procedures for purchasing and inventory control
- Developed and managed budgets for purchasing and projected purchasing needs
- Reviewed each store location's buying trends to ascertain correct assortment of apparel for maximum sales and profits
- Created hands-on training program for newly hired employees to acclimate each person to company policies and procedures and individual job duties
Pottery Barn Senior Buyer
07.2019 - 04.2023
- Owned Market Place & Drop Ship Textile program (Bath Hardlines & Softlines, Bedding, Home Furnishing & Rugs)
- Responsible for creating Market Place Textile strategy and vision as well as growing overall assortment and vendor community
- Grew Dept sales by +290%, from $17M to $66M, in 3 years by launching new MP departments in Bedding & Bath, identifying new assortment & tactics that aligned with Pottery Barn aesthetics and met channel-specific customer needs and expectations
- Leveraged vendor management experience to quickly onboard +50 vendors across various categories that aligned with corporate strategies and product aesthetics & negotiated product cost & terms that allowed us to meet aggressive +50% margin requirements
- Launched new private label bath vanity program and drove +55% of total company’s vanity sales within 2 years. Achieve these resuts by offering a strong value & premium assortment that Pottery Barn was unable to competitively develop
- Leveraged customer trends & market factors to launch complete bath renovation assortment in bathtubs & faucets to make Pottery Barn a bath remodel destination.
Category Manager
Walmart.com
11.2018 - 07.2019
- Managed Home Utility & Building business (Building, Electrical & Lighting, Plumbing) and responsible for sales ($45M), profitability, marketing, & vendor relationships with over 120 suppliers
- Drove +45% sales growth for 2018 while maintaining 20% Margin by negotiating strong marketing programs and launching new assortment strategy
- Developed and managed 4 Category Specialists to manage various subcategories
- Established Quarterly Business Review program with top 10 key vendors leading to significant improvements of metrics (sales, profitability) by strengthening communication & influencing vendor upper management about supporting Walmart.com goals & metrics.
Business Manager
Walmart.com
01.2011 - 11.2018
- Managed electronic sellers financial & operational goals, measuring performance metrics & building strong internal & external relationships across Audio, Video and Television categories
- Grew business by over 110% by optimizing assortment, aggressively onboarding new sellers & enhancing customer’s experience on our site
- Successfully approached business holistically across all ecommerce levers including marketing, merchandising and technology to scale 3rd party electronic sellers on Walmart.com
- Turned around various seller relationships that were threatening to stop doing business by strategically managing relationship and offering incentives that mutually grew our business together.
Product Merchant/ Buyer, Sourcing and Merchandising Consultant
Walmart.com
07.2013 - 11.2015
- Managed various categories in Electronics including Cameras ($120M), Connected Home/Wearables ($70M) & Audio ($105M)
- Responsible for sales, profitability, marketing, & vendor relationships while working closely with store colleagues to establish cohesive multi-faceted business strategy
- Developed business strategy & quarterly line reviews & led cross-functional teams, including marketing, global sourcing & finance to successfully launch on time
- Negotiated new costs with manufacturers & partnered with key distributors to lead a company-wide initiative that drove global strategic multi-channel plans resulting in +55% increase in sales while reducing inventory & improving turns
- Identified key marketing initiatives that offered creative solutions to the site that led to successfully negotiating incremental 20% marketing fund from vendors for both consecutive years
- Consulting E-commerce Strategic
01.2012 - 07.2013
- Worked with various clients such as San Franola Granola & Joseph Enterprises on various successful projects by using analytics & conducting research & insight on their competitive landscape, sales gaps & price elasticity:
- Amazon.com Manager, Vendor Management/ Department Sourcing Manager
06.2011 - 08.2012
- Responsible for managing Small Office/Home Office Electronics (SOHO) team of 5 associates including 2 buyers & 3 brand managers while owning purchasing & sales of the category ($545M annually)
- Exceeded sales plan & profitability by reducing cost by 23% & reversing historical unprofitable trends by negotiating new contracts with improved terms while also performing in-depth multifaceted market analysis that included commodity profile analysis, & benchmark analysis
- Drove growth of the team from 2 to 5 associates within one year by solidifying strategic vendor relationships & negotiating incremental $1M in vendor funding to support additional headcount.
Sr. Vendor Manager/ Strategic Sourcing lead
Amazon.com
07.2010 - 06.2011
- Managed Printers & Scanners category ($360M) including sales, profitability, marketing, & vendor relationships
- Drove $1.3M in profitability improvements (+1,250bps) by launching first Good/Better/Best product assortment program by negotiating improved vendor’s terms by utilizing analytical & financial planning, & web analytics
- Increased vendor funding marketing by 36% & promotional spending by 39% by rolling out Level of Service initiative, which ranked vendors based on key metrics including growth, profitability & operations performance.
Merchant/Buyer
The Home Depot Product
06.2004 - 07.2010
- Lead Pneumatics and Compressor Power Tools category and owned the sales ($875M annually), Profit & Losses, & financial strategy for sales in all Home Depot stores
- Obtained +$210M in cost out by completing +45 Product Line Reviews and led reset of 1,900 stores via financial analysis, redesign of packaging & signage, focus groups, & a competitive global landscape analysis
- Executed & exceeded 2006 - 2008 merchandizing sales plan strategy of over $875M & grew annual sales by $14M
- Achieved top 10 ranking out of 85 merchants/buyers based on sales performance & gross margin
- Increased Accessories sales by 9% & improved gross margin by 12% by partnering with import team & vendors to take non-value-add expenses out of supply chain
- Negotiated $48M in marketing funding contracts by leveraging global vendor relationships & working with Finance & Imports
- Successfully completed year-long Merchandising Leadership Program.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration, Finance & Marketing
University of California
Skills
- Supplier Negotiations
- Competitive Sourcing
- Product Procurement
- Trend Assessment
- [Software] Expertise
- Analyzing Data
Additional Information
- HONORS / AWARDS , Top 10 Home Depot Merchant award, 2007, 2009 The Home Depot Merchandising Leadership Program Graduate, June 2005 The Home Depot Outstanding Contribution award (Recreating America’s Toolbox), 2005
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Senior Buyer
Pottery Barn
04.2023 - Current
Pottery Barn Senior Buyer
07.2019 - 04.2023
Category Manager
Walmart.com
11.2018 - 07.2019
Product Merchant/ Buyer, Sourcing and Merchandising Consultant
Walmart.com
07.2013 - 11.2015
01.2012 - 07.2013
06.2011 - 08.2012
Business Manager
Walmart.com
01.2011 - 11.2018
Sr. Vendor Manager/ Strategic Sourcing lead
Amazon.com
07.2010 - 06.2011
Merchant/Buyer
The Home Depot Product
06.2004 - 07.2010
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration, Finance & Marketing
University of California
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