Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Personal Information
Timeline
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Lauren Candelaria

Seattle

Summary

Accomplished purchasing professional with expertise in designer merchandise procurement, international and drop shipping methods, strategic planning, inventory management, and supplier relationships. Adaptable in process automation technology to improve inventory and logistical operations and optimize business performance. Leveraging a background in merchandising, pricing, and forging strategic partnerships in complex value chains to significantly reduce costs through effective supplier negotiations.

Overview

22
22
years of professional experience

Work History

Director

Jay Strongwater LCC
01.2021 - Current
  • Develop and manage wholesale partnerships with leading global department stores including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Ave, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, and Dillards
  • Launched Saks Fifth Ave, Bloomingdales, Dillards and ABC Home into the wholesale purchasing division
  • Manage all wholesale operations, approve catalogs, building weekly wholesale emails, inventory forecasting, drop ship orders and merchandising both showrooms
  • Lead the implementation of a new Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system, launched a Direct to Customer (DTC) service with department stores
  • Promoted the new officially licensed 'Rock Boxes' category under JStrongwater which received feature page in the Neiman Marcus catalog and earned a product feature on Access Hollywood

Women's Designer Sportswear Buyer

Nordstrom, Inc.
01.2016 - 06.2020
  • Owned wholesale purchasing programs valued at $275M for women's designer sportswear achieving $162M in sales volume with oversight for 2 direct reports, and curated merchandise for 55 locations across the U.S And in Canada
  • Developed new promotional strategies to transform an underperforming business unit effectively driving sales and maintaining gross margin dollars to capture the highest historical year-over-year growth for 3 consecutive years
  • Launched the first NYC Nordstrom store with major Designer brands, while exceeding expectations
  • Maintained in-depth and proactive analysis for all brands to determine future opportunities for performing programs while developing exit strategies for weaker programs

Bridge Sportswear Buyer

Nordstrom, Inc.
01.2014 - 01.2016
  • Managed a $300M budget and directed the planning and purchasing of women's contemporary and designer sportswear while fostering strong business relationships with vendors and suppliers
  • Reinvigorated separate bottom business by identifying assortment voids, identified strategic sourcing opportunities and strategized with merchant team on assortment planning to achieve corporate financial objectives
  • Developed a curated collection of apparel to create a diverse product mix and managed various key designers, Hugo Boss, the in-house brand Classiques Entier, and one of Nordstrom's largest suppliers, Eileen Fisher.

Contemporary/Bridge Sportswear Buyer

Nordstrom Rack
05.2007 - 01.2014
  • Supported fulfillment of $158M in annual purchases with contemporary and bridge price point apparel for 165 Nordstrom Rack locations across the U.S
  • Opened 100+ Nordstrom Rack department stores driving annual store growth and corporate profitability, and provided customers with "must have " fashion merchandise
  • Introduced contemporary/designer merchandise to Nordstrom Rack including brands Vince, Joie, Rag & Bone, Helmut Lang, and Alexander Wang within the off-price division
  • Partnered with suppliers to control costs by eliminating duplication and purchasing overstock items and enhanced the customer experience by ensuring the quality of discounted merchandise aligned with the Nordstrom brand.

Ecomm Contemporary/Bridge Sportswear Buyer

Nordstrom Inc.
08.2002 - 05.2007
  • Launched the e-commerce of Nordstrom Inc. at the ground level, procured inventory and traveled to New York and Los Angeles to develop a client base through expanded sales channels
  • Collaborated with internal technical teams to launch a new website, increase sales revenue, and improve website traffic through audience engagement
  • Built long-term supplier relationships with vendors to establish quality and competitive pricing
  • Coordinated with internal store departments to better understand needs and determine purchasing requirements

Education

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Merchandising Management -

Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR

Skills

  • Inventory Control Strategy
  • Trending & Forecasting
  • ROI/Asset Management
  • Merchandise Management
  • ERP / EDI Technologies
  • Cost Control / Reduction
  • Drop Shipping Methods
  • Supplier Management
  • Sales Training
  • Pricing strategy
  • Merchandising Strategies
  • Competitive Analysis

Personal Information

Title: Director of Wholesale

Timeline

Director

Jay Strongwater LCC
01.2021 - Current

Women's Designer Sportswear Buyer

Nordstrom, Inc.
01.2016 - 06.2020

Bridge Sportswear Buyer

Nordstrom, Inc.
01.2014 - 01.2016

Contemporary/Bridge Sportswear Buyer

Nordstrom Rack
05.2007 - 01.2014

Ecomm Contemporary/Bridge Sportswear Buyer

Nordstrom Inc.
08.2002 - 05.2007

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Merchandising Management -

Oregon State University

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Lauren Candelaria