Lela Odom
Chicago,IL
Summary
Dynamic specialist with a focus on training and expert problem solving. Successfully coordinated teams and maintained inventory accuracy, ensuring adherence to brand standards and driving store success.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Product Flow Specialist
Best Buy
Chicago, IL And Evanston, IL
10.2020 - Current
- Implemented planograms as designed by corporate to maintain brand standards and enhance store organization for improved shopping experience.
- Set up and maintained displays to ensure functionality and compliance with brand standards.
- Executed periodic audits and merchandising maintenance to ensure compliance with vendor agreements.
- Set and maintained pricing throughout the store.
- Prepared customer orders of all products to be shipped or picked up in store within established and enforced time parameters.
- Managed logistics of trade-in device processing and shipping with occasional research into discrepancies in front-end documentation and staging.
- Prepared and checked out orders of large products for the delivery and install teams.
- Facilitated unloading, sorting, and shelving of multiple high-volume product shipments from the distribution centers throughout the week.
- Received smaller daily drop shipments from FedEx and UPS in the inventory management system, with occasional need to research lost or partially missing shipments and report inventory discrepancies and pilfered packages.
- Completed multiple full-store physical inventory overnights and co-ran the most recent one to coordinate and train a team of people from multiple stores to scan all product and research inventory discrepancies.
- Periodically completed cycle counts of inventory by category on a corporate-set schedule and researched discrepancies.
- Used powered equipment like Big Joe and Little Joey, as well as non-powered pallet jacks, and maintained safety standards of all equipment in completion of my daily duties.
- Certified as a keyholder responsible for opening and closing procedures and accessing critical high-security areas of the store.
- Maintained a rhythm of ordering supplies, fixtures, graphics, and functionality parts through multiple portals, with occasional need to follow up on GNFR orders that were not fulfilled or arrived damaged.
- Implemented and maintained anti-theft strategies as provided by corporate, including lockable fixtures, individual product security devices, and powered security alarms for displays.
- Trained new hires and veterans interested in expanding their roles in all product flow duties.
- Assisted in closing down a store by shipping out high volumes of inventory and dismantling fixtures.
- Collaborated with veterans from other stores throughout the company to identify and solve issues that arise in the weekly warehouse flow to be addressed by corporate and fixed in future updates, as well as answering questions from newer employees on best practices for working around issues.
Retail Merchandiser
Premium Retail Services
Chicago, IL And Suburbs
09.2016 - 08.2023
- Completed weekly visits to multiple big box retail and grocery stores for vendor-initiated merchandising and restocking tasks to optimize product placement and visibility by using each retailer's unique internal inventory, planogram, and pricing systems.
- Facilitated organization of fixtures and backstock of all categories of product in multiple retail stores.
- Implemented new merchandising elements such as fixtures, signage, pricing, and interactive displays to enhance customer engagement.
- Maintained functionality and visual integrity of retail displays.
- Performed routine audits and maintenance to ensure compliance with brand standards as agreed upon between retailers and vendors.
- Completed product pulls and high-volume sendbacks to ensure product safety and maintain streamlined stock levels of newer product.
- Coordinated teams of people to schedule and complete major reset projects across multiple retail locations.
- Maintained constant compliance with all legal regulations to perform merchandising duties in federal buildings and medical facilities.
- Completed all tasks before deadlines as assigned through an online portal that primarily relied on self-scheduling.
Project Team Specialist
Best Buy
Chicago, IL And Suburbs
05.2010 - 05.2016
- Executed store visits across the Chicago area as part of a district team to fulfill corporate merchandising and restockng objectives on a weekly timeline.
- Assisted with preparing new stores for grand opening as well as emptying and dismantling fixtures in closing stores.
- Analyzed scheduling demands in collaboration with store managers, implementing adjustments to maintain balanced workloads across stores and resolve emerging issues.
Product Flow Specialist
Best Buy
Durham, NC And Chicago, IL
01.2007 - 05.2010
Education
Bachelor of Science - Communication Studies And Political Science
University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC05-2007
Skills
- Customer relations
- Expert problem solving
- Inclination for organization
- Documentation management
Timeline
Product Flow Specialist
Best Buy
10.2020 - Current
Retail Merchandiser
Premium Retail Services
09.2016 - 08.2023
Project Team Specialist
Best Buy
05.2010 - 05.2016
Product Flow Specialist
Best Buy
01.2007 - 05.2010
Bachelor of Science - Communication Studies And Political Science
University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill