Michelle Covington
Germantown
Summary
Results-oriented, General Manager of specialty retail looking for a new challenge to showcase my skill set building high performance teams and growing residual client base. Laser focused on profitability through creating a warm welcoming inclusive internal and external client experience.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Store Manager
Lilly Pulitzer
06.2022 - Current
- Empowers the leadership team to execute daily operations to ensure smooth functioning of the store, maintaining a clean, safe environment for customers and employees. Keeps the team growing within their positions, builds confidence to make decisions and take action.
- Hosts conference calls and leads brand initiatives.
- Addresses every customer who enters promptly and professionally building long-lasting relationships with clientele for residual business.
- Leverages talent successfully in fast-paced environment through hands-on training and positive feedback.
- Follows up and sets regular appointments to drive visits into the boutique through outreach platforms for each event and product launch resulting in 20% increase over last year's profits.
- Maximizes sales by creating innovative visual merchandising displays and store marketing campaigns.
- Conducts regular performance reviews for staff members, providing constructive feedback and opportunities for growth.
- Coaches sales associates in product outfitting, sales incentives, and selling techniques, significantly increasing customer satisfaction ratings and conversion.
- Maximizes sales to exceed monthly, quarterly and annual plans and lowered shrink (32% vs. .26%) through one-on-one client service and adherence to standard practices.
- Owns financial aspects of store operations, including budget planning, expense tracking, and record-keeping to maintain fiscal responsibility in P&L.
- Trains and develops other Store Managers, support their ongoing success. Reliable, accessible peer coach.
- Recruiting for the brand.
General Manager
Tory Burch
07.2017 - 04.2022
- Evaluated employee performance and coaches to develop each team-member as an individual asset.
- Floor leader recognized for exceptional sales profit accountability.
- Created and maintains 9,000 loyal clients and 4 corporate gift partners producing lucrative residual business.
- Increases K.P.I. performance through one on one coaching and embracing selling model.
- Drove 36% conversion rate in 12 million dollar year high traffic business. Impacts general walk in customers as well as 18% of business from outreach and appointment setting.
- Participated in weekly/ monthly District and Regional financial, talent, visual, and operational conference calls.
- Compiled and submit weekly and monthly store business acumen to Corporate office.
- Recruited and trained top luxury talent in the industry on store and brand ambassador level.
- Devised strategic onboarding plan, mentored all new hires in location and new store openings.
- Conducted monthly and annual touch base reviews with all personnel.
- Oversaw disciplinary actions and Human Resource partners.
- Payroll administrator.
- Grew revenue by improving sales performance and implementing service strategies. Associate and customer engagement.
- Verified all merchandising and service standards were maintained on daily basis.
- Built customer confidence by actively listening to their concerns and taking appropriate action to increase frequency of shop.
- Fostered positive and challenging work environment in which to learn.
- Collaborated with leadership team and associates to affect satisfactory and timely solutions to diverse issues in weekly and monthly store staff meetings.
- Determined project schedules and maintained timeline with proactive adjustments to workflow.
- Promoted memorable client experiences, building long term repeat customer base.
- #9 for profitability in Region out of 49 in channel.
- Networking resource for the brand who assisted to staff 14 locations. Built high performance teams.
Boutique Team Leader
Francesca's Collections
02.2015 - 07.2017
- Maintained a fun profitable place to work and learn.
- Drove 35% conversion through connecting and styling individual clients one at time.
- Taught team to build and maintain regular client base resulting in 1 million dollars in additional revenue annually.
- Delegated work to employees based on shift requirements, individual strengths and unique training.
- Performed assigned projects and completed checklists in an efficient and accurate manner.
- Trained all new Associates and Managers on store procedures, policies and outstanding customer service.
- Hosted District conference calls on a weekly and monthly basis.
- Evaluated employee performance on a regular and consistent basis.
- Hosted floor coaching, visual, and personal styling workshops to skill build and develop the team to their full potential.
- Increased store's revenue by 22-25% over comp. 2 years in a row by developing Talent and selling strategies.
- Wrote and submitted weekly and monthly business reports to corporate and create curriculum for store staff meetings.
- Offered exceptional customer service to differentiate and promote company brand, growing the market.
- Held each team member accountable for achieving brand and performance goals on daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis.
- Recruited, hired, developed and retained retail talent for the company in multiple locations in US.
- Several employees grew under my supervision to become Store Managers of their own successful location.
Store Manager
Body Central
05.2012 - 01.2015
- Worked closely with District Manager and Corporate business partners to formulate and continue growth in the store brand.
- Trained staff to deliver outstanding customer service increasing profit through positive comp numbers.
- Maintained loyal clientele with regal outreach and events to gain consistent additional revenue into stores.
- Drove a 32-35% conversion rate and 3.0 U.P.T. through consistent delivery of service and styling standards.
- Contributed to visual merchandising standards and best practices, bring effective ideas in Corporate meetings we were able to implement in chain.
- Analyzed marketing information and translated it into strategic plans.
- Influenced K.P.I'S by hiring top talent, in the moment floor coaching, developed sales team in one on one touch bases, visual and operational excellence into the top 6 profitable store in the company out of 300 stores.
- Trained all new managers for District on store procedures and policies.
- Initiated program that standardized employee training which led to increase in repeat client business.
- Helped devise company selling model and launch program globally.
- Assisted in creation of marketing objectives and advertising strategies that were utilized in promotional efforts to attract and retain the internal and external client.
- Executed integrated advertising campaign across multiple social media channels.
- Recruited, hired, developed and retained retail talent for area by active networking and succession planning.
Education
High School Diploma - Business
Parkville High School & Center For Math/Science
Baltimore, MDAssociate of Arts - Fashion Design
Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NYSkills
- Financial growth and profit maximization
- Recruitment and Talent development
- Committed to running a fun positive work environment
- Energetic and driven
- Team leadership
- Dependable/Reliable
- In-depth fashion and market knowledge
- Excellent multi-tasker/flexible
- Relationship selling
- Strong communication and organizational skills
- Conflict resolution, active listener
- Detail-oriented
- Customer Service expert
- Conflict resolution, active listener
- Detail-oriented
- Customer Service expert
Affiliations
- Volunteer and host charity tie backs to store client events;
- Counterpart International
- Simon Youth Foundation
- Dress for Success
- The Nature Conservancy
- Brem Foundation
Professional references
Julie Du Bose Amazon- (240)447-6922
Michelle Stevens school secretary MCPS- (301)651-6799
Shumila Nasir Tory Burch- (571)331-0310
Kayana Guerra Business owner, Catering by Kay- (917)349-0557
Michele Dubois Retail Sales WHBM- (240)447-2430
Aimee Kohorst Store Manager Aritzia- (301)266-4917
Sarvy Kalargyros Sales professional/ Esthetician- (301)503-5209
Natalie Panettiere- Executive Assistant to CFO at USO-(757)288-4123
Pam Arbaugh District Manager Carter's- (443)865-0210
Kelly Elliott Invisalign- (240)654-7779
Timeline
Store Manager
Lilly Pulitzer
06.2022 - Current
General Manager
Tory Burch
07.2017 - 04.2022
Boutique Team Leader
Francesca's Collections
02.2015 - 07.2017
Store Manager
Body Central
05.2012 - 01.2015
High School Diploma - Business
Parkville High School & Center For Math/Science
Associate of Arts - Fashion Design
Fashion Institute of Technology
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