MICHAEL VONGPHAKDY
Los Angeles,CA
Summary
Detail-oriented professional with extensive experience in business analysis and cross-functional collaboration. Expertise in vendor negotiation and margin analysis has led to significant improvements in category performance and product assortment strategies.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Associate Designer | Buying & Merchandising
K&K Clothing LLC
Los Angeles, CA
11.2018 - 01.2026
- Improved category performance and profit plan execution by increasing gross margins 8–12%, through vendor negotiations and cost optimization aligned with retail math analysis (IMU, sell-through, markup).
- Delivered actionable business analysis insights by building weekly Excel reporting tools (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP), improving visibility into sales, inventory turnover, and GMROI to support Buyer decision-making.
- Optimized product assortment strategy by identifying emerging trends and competitive shopping insights, resulting in more customer-oriented assortments aligned with off-price retail positioning.
- Managed full purchase order lifecycle and merchandise flow by entering, updating, and tracking orders, ensuring adherence to shipping windows and maintaining consistent planned receipt flow.
Associate Designer | Buying & Merchandising
Crystal Lynn Clothing LLC
Los Angeles, CA
01.2015 - 11.2018
- Increased profitability and supported profit plan goals by improving gross margin 10% through data-driven pricing strategies and retail math analysis.
- Enhanced category performance visibility by conducting ongoing business analysis of sales trends and inventory, enabling more informed product assortment decisions.
- Strengthened vendor partnerships and negotiation outcomes by building win/win relationships, improving lead times and overall product value.
- Improved merchandise flow and on-time delivery rates by tracking production calendars and planned receipt flow, proactively identifying and resolving shipping risks.
Associate Designer | Buying & Merchandising
Ruby Rox / Misyd Corporation
Los Angeles, CA
05.2013 - 12.2014
- Improved product development efficiency by reducing sample approval turnaround time by 15% through cross-functional collaboration with design and production teams.
- Increased category margin performance by lowering COGS through alternative sourcing strategies while maintaining product quality standards.
- Supported product assortment decisions and Buyer presentations by preparing data-driven line sheets and performance summaries aligned with category performance insights.
- Enhanced operational execution by assisting in purchase order tracking and vendor coordination to support timely merchandise flow.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Fashion Design And Marketing
International Academy of Design And Technology
Sacramento, CA2011
Skills
- Assortment Planning
- Purchase Order Management
- Business Analysis
- Category Performance Analysis
- Vendor Negotiation
- Product Assortment Strategy
- Open-to-Buy (OTB)
- Margin Analysis
- Competitive Shopping
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
Timeline
Associate Designer | Buying & Merchandising
K&K Clothing LLC
11.2018 - 01.2026
Associate Designer | Buying & Merchandising
Crystal Lynn Clothing LLC
01.2015 - 11.2018
Associate Designer | Buying & Merchandising
Ruby Rox / Misyd Corporation
05.2013 - 12.2014
Bachelor of Arts - Fashion Design And Marketing
International Academy of Design And Technology