Dayanne Novak Armaganijan: Senior Buyer, Akira Bottoms in WINNETKA, IL

Grew bottoms business at AKIRA in comp channels year over year by focusing on result drivers and customer needs * Increased margin rate from 53.9% in 2017 to 62.4% in 2020 by onboarding new private label vendors, negotiating new terms with third party vendors and improving product lifecycle management * Focused detail analysis on size sell through by fit, partnering with third party vendors to create new exclusive size packs in order to better serve our guest and decrease end of season markdowns * Analyze results weekly to best spend open to buy, addressing in season changes and influencing future assortments * Manage team of three including the tops buyer, an assistant buyer and designer to deliver separates assortment * Developed Tops Buyer from assistant buyer through democtratic and participative leadership style * Created new buyer process to maximize margin and cost negotiation with third party vendors * Partner with store operations and visual teams to deliver best in store experience for each assortment * Analyze market to identify emerging trends and continue delivering strong growth driving assortments

Executed vendor selection and negotiation, developing strong vendor relationships while monitoring industry trends and evaluating competition * Increased brick & mortar store sales 17% and profitability by 7 basis points by improving product, inventory, sizing and allocation * Drove the merchandise strategy, completing top level seasonal buys to ensure optimal productivity by style, reacting quickly in season to emerging trends * Understood nuances of the .com business to execute appropriate merchandising strategy for different retail channel * Partnered with Planner to develop the assortment matrix and analyze class, vendor and seasonal assortments at the top line and store level * Managed ongoing OTB process: forecasting sales, markdowns, profit and inventory to plan. * Negotiated and partnered with vendors to maintain gross margin profitability * Optimized inventory productivity, developing and executing aged inventory exit strategies when necessary * Monitors promotion effectiveness and influence on sales to recommend future strategies * Partnered with and supported visual team in providing in-store signage and store presentation guidance