Summary
Overview
Work History
Skills
References
Timeline
Generic

Garrett Bean

Seattle,WA

Summary

Dynamic merchant with over 21 years of retail and leadership experience. Known for a track record of achieving superior results and an ability to create data driven, customer-centric strategies, while having an eye towards what's next. Strong data analytical skills and thrives in a fast paced environment. Has a passion for product, as well as cultivating top talent, and prides himself on the ability to communicate, collaborate, and cultivate strong relationships.

Overview

21
21
years of professional experience

Work History

VP DMM - Men’s and Active Footwear

Nordstrom
Seattle, WA
02.2024 - Current
  • Effectively leads a team of 9 Buyers, Associate Buyers and Assistant Buyers across 8 departments and 300+ brands.
  • Collaborates with cross-functional partners in planning, inventory, pricing, and digital to develop and execute customer-centric merchandise strategies aimed at achieving top and bottom line financial targets.
  • Achieved the top increase in the company in 2024 and was honored with then 'Owner at Heart" recognition.
  • Honored with "Inverted Pyramid" award due to exceptional leadership and mentorship abilities.

Merchandise Director - Men's Apparel E2E

Nordstrom
Seattle, WA - Washington
02.2022 - 02.2024
  • Leads a team of merchants to achieve annual sales (~$900m), gross margin and inventory goals across 2 banners and 6 channels.
  • Worked with DMM and GMM to develop and drive multi-season/year merchandise strategy.
  • Worked closely with Planning Director to build and update financial plans based on the changing needs of the customer/business.
  • Works cross-functionally with partners in Inventory Deployment, Assortment Planning and Finance to communicate our seasonal strategy and influence go to market plans.
  • Awarded "Merchant of the Year" in 2023.

Director - Assortment Planning - Men's/Women's E2E

Nordstrom
Seattle, WA
01.2021 - 02.2022
  • Leverages data analytics to create end to end assortment plans balanced by breadth, depth and price to deliver against top and bottom line targets.
  • Effectively collaborates with 2 Financial Managers and 6 Financial Planners to create E2E financial plans across 18 depts and 6 channels.
  • Successfully manages and clearly communicates across a team of 6 Buy Planers and 4 Associate Buy Planners.
  • Collaborates with DMM VP, GMM EVP and MPI VP to ensure that our assortment and financial plans allow us to deliver against our merchandising strategy while driving top and bottom line results.
  • Partners with cross-organizational teams in inventory deployment, price, finance and category planning to communicate strategy, drive actions and ensure clarity.

Senior Manager - Merch Inventory - Deployment

Nordstrom
SEATTLE, WA
07.2019 - 12.2020
  • Leverage data analytics to accurately and efficiently forward deploy inventory across 5 channels which includes 115 Full Line Stores in the US, 6 in Canada, Nordstrom.com, N.ca and Trunk Club.
  • Responsible for managing in stock metrics and forward deployment of inventory across an average of 950,000 sku locs to ensure that we have the right product, in the right place, at the right time.
  • Directly supports a team of 9 Replenishment Buyers, 1 Allocation Manager and 7 Allocators.
  • Effectively collaborates with our EVP GMM, VP MPI, Forecast Manager and 12 Buyers and Buy Planners to influence decisions, rendering stronger results.
  • Nordstrom Merchandising Group 2019 "Curious and Ever-Changing" award recipient
  • Beauty and Accessories Division 2019 "Owner at Heart" Award recipient.

National Buyer - Men's Sportswear

Nordstrom
SEATTLE, WA
06.2016 - 07.2019
  • Responsible for developing and implementing our department's merchandising strategy across 4 channels.
  • Curated assortment and created top and bottom line plans across 120 suppliers.
  • Created growth strategies for preferred and emerging brands: Nike, Adidas, Good Man Brand, AG, Ted Baker, Vince, Theory and Allsaints.
  • 2016 Nordstrom Merchandising Group "Buyer of the Year" award recipient - Drove a $14m sales increase, $10m pick up in preferred and emerging brands.
  • 2017 Men's Division "Fashion Authority" award recipient - Achieved a $29m sales increase, $18m pick up in preferred and emerging brands.
  • Created and executed our all door active shop roll-out.
  • Was a guest speaker at Nike's 2017 Global Merchandising Summit.

National Buyer - Men's Shoes - Designer

Nordstrom
SEATTLE, WA
05.2014 - 06.2016
  • Successfully negotiated and cultivated relationships with designer suppliers to add 14 new brands and over 240 new points of distribution across 4 selling channels.
  • Tirelessly studied and identified emerging brands/trends to evolve our assortment and assert ourselves as a market leader.
  • Footwear Division "Buying Pod of the Year" award recipient - exceeded multichannel sales, turn, margin and GMROI expectations, achieving an $10m sales increase for the year.
  • Promoted our Assistant Buyer and Assistant Buy Planner.
  • Successfully opened our Flagship location in Vancouver, CA where we exceeded sales and inventory plans.

National Buyer - Men's Shoes - Active/Trend

Nordstrom
Seattle, WA
10.2012 - 05.2014
  • Cultivated assortment and created the merchandising strategy across 60 brands and 4 channels.
  • Shoe Division "Take Your Business Someplace New" award recipient for creating and introducing the "Sneaker Lab" to Nordstrom.com as a way to engage with a new customer and unlock premium sneaker distribution.
  • Grew our Active Shoe business to all locations, helping to offset the volume drops that we were experiencing with TOMS in our Trend Dept.
  • Created and curated bi-monthly stories which spoke to a different customer or trend happening at that time. Worked with marketing and visual merchandising to create content to bring the stories together online and in store.
  • Promoted Assistant Buyer.

Direct Buyer - Men's Shoes

Nordstrom
SEATTLE, WA
02.2012 - 10.2012
  • Leveraged data analytics to influence and inform the decisions of 3 Multichannel Buyers and 3 Multichannel Buy Planners.
  • Responsible for curating the Nordstrom.com extended assortment across 5 depts, comprised of over 350 brands and over 1,200 items.
  • Effectively collaborated with cross-divisional marketing teams to ensure that we had the best content to support our merchandising strategy on site and through email.
  • Successfully pitched and rolled out drop ship to our top 10 suppliers which added an additional $5m of incremental volume in the first year.

National Assistant Buyer - Men's Shoes - Designer

Nordstrom
SEATTLE, WA
10.2010 - 01.2012
  • Responsible for all in season business inclusive of re-orders, markdowns and negotiating vendor assistance.
  • Leveraged data to allocate an assortment, by size, across 100 locations to drive regular price performance and meet sell thru expectations.
  • Responsible for the new Nordstrom.com business.
  • Lead pre-market meetings to identify opportunities and liabilities within our current assortment, highlighted any new distribution opportunities based on results or store feedback as well as brought to light any new brands or trends that we should consider.
  • Responsible for all store and RM communication.

Regional Merchandiser - Men's Shoes

Nordstrom
Paramus, NJ
01.2009 - 10.2010
  • Drove the Divisional Merchandise Strategy for Men's Shoes across 12 Full Line Stores.
  • Directly supported 12 Department Managers and 15 Assistant Managers.
  • Collaborated and cultivated relationships with Store Managers, Department Managers and sales teams across the Men's Division to achieve top line sales growth.
  • Promoted 2 Department Managers to larger roles.
  • Cultivated a relationship with the Regional Buyer to communicate assortment and inventory needs.

Sales and Department Mangers - Men's/Kid's Shoes

Nordstrom
, NJ
11.2004 - 01.2009
  • Began as a cashier in Kid's Shoes during a Half Yearly sale.
  • Managed 1 Kid's Shoe department and 2 Men's Shoe departments.
  • Managed the #1 volume Men's Designer shoe floor in the company - Roosevelt Field, NY.
  • Was awarded "Shopkeeper of the Year" in 2009 for finishing with the #1 sales increase in the company at Roosevelt Field, NY.
  • Achieved sales increases every year that I was a Department Manager.
  • Promoted 3 Sales Associates and 4 Assistant Managers to larger roles.

Skills

  • Leadership
  • Merchandising
  • Strategy
  • Buying
  • Demand Forecasting
  • Inventory Planning
  • Category Planning
  • Relationships and Negotiations
  • Communication
  • Data Analytics
  • Microsoft Excel

References

John Hall

EVP, CMO - Finish Line

(206) 851 - 9043

Timeline

VP DMM - Men’s and Active Footwear

Nordstrom
02.2024 - Current

Merchandise Director - Men's Apparel E2E

Nordstrom
02.2022 - 02.2024

Director - Assortment Planning - Men's/Women's E2E

Nordstrom
01.2021 - 02.2022

Senior Manager - Merch Inventory - Deployment

Nordstrom
07.2019 - 12.2020

National Buyer - Men's Sportswear

Nordstrom
06.2016 - 07.2019

National Buyer - Men's Shoes - Designer

Nordstrom
05.2014 - 06.2016

National Buyer - Men's Shoes - Active/Trend

Nordstrom
10.2012 - 05.2014

Direct Buyer - Men's Shoes

Nordstrom
02.2012 - 10.2012

National Assistant Buyer - Men's Shoes - Designer

Nordstrom
10.2010 - 01.2012

Regional Merchandiser - Men's Shoes

Nordstrom
01.2009 - 10.2010

Sales and Department Mangers - Men's/Kid's Shoes

Nordstrom
11.2004 - 01.2009

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