Norman Levithol
Overview
32
32
years of professional experience
Work History
Global Sourcing Category Manager
Shaw Industries
03.2022 - Current
- Company Overview: Shaw Industries Inc, is a part of the flooring sector, both soft and hard
- Helmed efforts to develop and execute strategic spend and savings for Indirect spend
- Harnessed in-depth knowledge of MRO, Janitorial, Furniture, Labels, Food & Beverage, Landscaping and Office Supplies spend
- Accelerated savings on indirect spend through product and vendor negotiations
- Established performance benchmarks in relevant processes to sustain and support continuous improvement
- Shaw Industries Inc, is a part of the flooring sector, both soft and hard
Director of Merchandising, Jackson & Perkins, Wayside Gardens & Park Seed
J&P Park Acquisitions
04.2018 - 02.2019
- Company Overview: J&P Park Acquisitions, Inc
- Is a part of the timber and farming sector and includes Park Seed, Jackson & Perkins, and Wayside Gardens
- Helmed efforts to develop and execute strategic product plans while supervising cross-functional teams to deliver an exceptional and consistent customer experience that differentiates the company in the marketplace
- Harnessed in-depth knowledge of direct channels of distribution – websites, catalog, and retail – to improve brand presence and surpass ambitious business goals for Jackson & Perkins, Wayside Gardens, and Park Seed
- Accelerated business growth by building a high-performance team and developing a strategic vision
- Established performance benchmarks in relevant processes to sustain and support continuous improvement
- Effectively integrated all three websites to deliver a one-stop shopping experience that increased sales – introduced a new garden tool and accessory product lines based on consumer demand for these items
- Applied out-of-the-box thinking and problem-solving aptitude to develop new approaches to accomplish a goal – led the transition from $1.00 discount items to live plants, garden accessories, and garden décor
- Foster a culture of manager ownership and accountability of the employee life cycle – drove positive employee relations to provide an optimal work environment for all employees
- Supervised six direct reports, including four brand managers and two merchandise assistants, in merchandise assortments, buy plans, sales budgets, promotions, and new product introductions
- Cultivated clear communication lines at all levels of the organization to facilitate seamless processes
- Worked seamlessly with others to complete a task or achieve a common objective and demonstrated the ability to cooperate in interpersonal and team relationships to maintain mutual trust, honesty, and respect for others
- Commended for developing and executing merchandise planning strategies to maximize sales and profitability
- J&P Park Acquisitions, Inc
- Is a part of the timber and farming sector and includes Park Seed, Jackson & Perkins, and Wayside Gardens
Category Manager, Dollar Tree Direct
Dollar Tree
10.2011 - 04.2018
- Company Overview: Dollar Tree, Inc
- Is a chain of discount variety stores that sells items for $1 or less
- Headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia, it is a Fortune 500 company and operates 15,115 stores throughout the 48 contiguous US states and Canada
- Developed and executed tactical product plans, operational goals, performance metrics that drive customer loyalty
- Responsible for producing robust merchandise assortment plans with an eye on the budget for stationary, toys, party goods, soft lines, seasonal products, and closeouts
- Consistently ensured all products, communications, promotions, and initiatives align with the brand and communicated such initiatives to internal and global leadership teams
- Enhanced brand awareness and consideration by strategically selecting and positioning merchandise for the monthly marketing calendar seen on the Internet category landing pages and the weekly emails/newsletters
- Conceived, framed, and articulated compelling value propositions and developed content in support of product offerings – ensured marketing content consistency by managing sourcing web and catalog photos from buyers and authored content for emails, websites, and catalogs; supported web presence development efforts
- Established and implemented comprehensive scorecards and dashboards to capture performance metrics
- Implemented strategic marketing plans by creating new categories on the website – controlled merchandise available on the website to deliver an accurate reflection of inventory
- Leveraged product placement and marketing expertise to increase winter-wear sales by 70.6% and summer-wear sales by 27.5% in 2015
- Secured a 23% comp increase for all assigned categories the same year
- Dollar Tree, Inc
- Is a chain of discount variety stores that sells items for $1 or less
- Headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia, it is a Fortune 500 company and operates 15,115 stores throughout the 48 contiguous US states and Canada
Senior Buyer
CR Gibson, Llc
08.2009 - 10.2011
- Company Overview: A consumer products company within the craft, seasonal, and celebrations markets primarily engages in the design, manufacture, procurement, distribution, and sale of all occasion and seasonal social expression products
- Supported the development and enhancement of the product portfolio by driving the transition of footwear and clothing accessories to home goods products such as ceramic/porcelain cups, trivets, garden items, aprons, towels, potholders, woman's accessories, bamboo book holders, and recipe boxes
- Responsible for sourcing and on-time deliveries of a new line of woman's kitchen aprons and ceramic kitchen items
- Deftly sourced new factories purchased products for stationary, hard/soft kitchen items, and women's accessories
- Established record of helming projects that improve systems and processes, reduce costs, and exceed goals
- Sourced and developed packaging
- Contributed to revenue generation by routinely liaising with cross-functional teams such as marketing, sales, product development, and operations; also coordinated with suppliers
- Utilized cross-functional coordination skills to drive successful collaborations– involved in developing the 18-month production schedule to ensure timely completion against the product development calendar
- Expertly managed home goods product, stationary, and accessories product lifecycles from concept to launch
- Fostered clear communication lines within the team, with suppliers, and other stakeholders to facilitate operations
- A consumer products company within the craft, seasonal, and celebrations markets primarily engages in the design, manufacture, procurement, distribution, and sale of all occasion and seasonal social expression products
Global Sourcing Manager
Johnston & Murphy
01.2006 - 04.2009
Merchandise Manager | Buyer | Product Development
Johnston & Murphy
01.1999 - 01.2006
Area Supervisor | Store Manager
Johnston & Murphy
01.1993 - 01.1999
Education
Industrial Studies
San Jose State University
San Jose, CABusiness/Marketing
West Valley College
Saratoga, CASkills
- Category development
- Data analytics
- Supplier relationship management
- Demand forecasting
- Supplier contracts
- Data analysis
- Supplier reviews
- Data review
- Pricing strategies
- Category growth
- Sustainability initiatives
- Performance improvements
- Marketing coordination
- Category planning
- Supply chain optimization
- Strategic sourcing
- Merchandising strategies
- Merchandising
- Pricing strategy
- Vendor relations
- Performance metrics
- Risk mitigation
- Product management
- Process development
- E-commerce management
- Performance optimization
- Commodity strategies
- Financial acumen
- Cost containment
- Global sourcing
- Vendor engagement
- Sales target oversight
- Operations evaluation
- Asset management performance
- Category innovation
- Consumer insights
- Cost reduction strategies
- Go-to-market strategy
- Budget forecasting
- Contract negotiation
- Training and onboarding
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Sales forecasting
- Market analysis
- Root-cause analysis
- Customer buying habits
- Social media platforms
- Social media campaigns
- Strategic marketing
- Google Analytics understanding
- Seasonal campaign development
- Public and media relations
- Corporate communication
- Brand messaging
- Market research analysis
- Marketing campaign development
- Teamwork
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Problem-solving
- Time management
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving abilities
- Multitasking
- Multitasking Abilities
- Reliability
- Excellent communication
- Critical thinking
- Organizational skills
- Team collaboration
- Team leadership
- Creative thinking
- Active listening
- Effective communication
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Verbal and written communication
- Decision-making
- Detail-oriented
- Relationship building
- Microsoft office
- Computer proficiency
- Team building
- Task prioritization
- Self motivation
- Content creation
- Interpersonal skills
- Client relationship management
- Customer relationship management
- Analytical thinking
- Training and development
Timeline
Global Sourcing Category Manager
Shaw Industries
03.2022 - Current
Director of Merchandising, Jackson & Perkins, Wayside Gardens & Park Seed
J&P Park Acquisitions
04.2018 - 02.2019
Category Manager, Dollar Tree Direct
Dollar Tree
10.2011 - 04.2018
Senior Buyer
CR Gibson, Llc
08.2009 - 10.2011
Global Sourcing Manager
Johnston & Murphy
01.2006 - 04.2009
Merchandise Manager | Buyer | Product Development
Johnston & Murphy
01.1999 - 01.2006
Area Supervisor | Store Manager
Johnston & Murphy
01.1993 - 01.1999
Industrial Studies
San Jose State University
Business/Marketing
West Valley College
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