Katye Stevens
Damascus,OR
Summary
Results-driven retail professional with 27 years of extensive experience in corporate retail, specializing in strategic marketing, buying, and inventory planning. Skilled at managing cross-functional teams, optimizing operational efficiencies, and adapting to dynamic market trends. Possess excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills. Seeking to leverage deep industry knowledge, analytical skills, and project management expertise in a new career path to bring a fresh perspective and drive meaningful impact.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Promo Planning Specialist
Kroger
10.2014 - Current
- Determined customers' needs and provided brand awareness and recommendations to fulfill requirements.
- Strengthened outreach by coordinating events to maximize marketing initiatives.
- Analyzed industry trends and benchmarked competitors to inform marketing strategies.
- Managed budget for marketing initiatives, carefully keeping spending within allocated limits.
- Coordinated with sales and operational teams to verify alignment of marketing initiatives with company goals.
- Created reports to track performance of marketing campaigns and suggest improvements.
- Created and launched campaigns across digital and traditional channels to drive sales.
- Collaborated with design team to create visuals for various marketing campaigns.
- Developed and implemented comprehensive marketing strategies to increase brand awareness and customer acquisition.
Planner – Seasonal and Storage Categories
FRED MEYER STORES
10.2008 - 10.2014
- Manage the open-to-buy for two categories across 130+ stores
- Build financial plans, manage inventory, turnover and store allocations
- Reduced merchandise write-off by $900,000
- Increased category sales by 5%
- Improved quantity allocation for seasonal products resulting in $650,000 in additional sales
- Built by-door business plan projected to lift seasonal sales over $750,000
- Trained 3 assistants that were quickly promoted to new positions within the company.
- Recognized potential issues with inventory and quality control and engineered changes.
Buyer – Tabletop Category
FRED MEYER STORES
05.2004 - 09.2008
- Managed assortment, quantities, pricing and advertising for a $30 million category
- Built long-term supplier relationships with vendors to establish quality and competitive pricing.
- Analyzed current vendors and products to stay abreast of market trends and evaluate new suppliers.
- Designed and implemented process improvements to streamline purchasing process.
- Oversaw the promotional and marketing activities for the category
- Maintained key item stock levels and wrote or expedited purchase orders.
- Tracked inventory shipments and prepared spreadsheets detailing item information.
- Collaborated with internal departments to better understand needs and determine purchasing requirements.
Buyer – Toy Category
FRED MEYER STORES
10.2001 - 04.2004
- Managed assortment, quantities, pricing and advertising for a $26 million category
- Increased sales 4% in the first year
- Negotiated buying agreements with top toy manufacturers
- Learned best practices in flow of goods
- Improved inventory management and profit margins.
Assistant Buyer – Home Division
FRED MEYER STORES
06.1997 - 10.2001
- Assisted multiple buyers in the home division through various buying activities.
Skills
- Strategic Planning
- Project Management
- Marketing Expertise
- Data Analysis
- Communication
- Creative Thinking
- Attention to Detail
- Collaboration
- Adaptability
- Negotiation Skills
- Leadership and Team Management
Timeline
Promo Planning Specialist
Kroger
10.2014 - Current
Planner – Seasonal and Storage Categories
FRED MEYER STORES
10.2008 - 10.2014
Buyer – Tabletop Category
FRED MEYER STORES
05.2004 - 09.2008
Buyer – Toy Category
FRED MEYER STORES
10.2001 - 04.2004
Assistant Buyer – Home Division
FRED MEYER STORES
06.1997 - 10.2001
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