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Store Director (Former Visual Merchandising Manager)

Top Management

I am a hard working, self-motivated person who has always been driven by art, music, design, sports, and life. I have 15 years of professional experience in the fashion industry for Visual Merchandising, Management, and Store Operations, and love being creative, outgoing, and enthusiastic.  I have a very strong passion for the creative side of the business, coupled with my strong analytical skills and focal college education in Apparel Manufacturing and Merchandising.  I have received many accolades and awards for my merchandising work, and leadership/people development through the years.

In my time with J Crew, I have developed from a seasoned merchandising veteran to a trusted authority figure to operate & manage the staff, product, & performance at the store levels. Whether it is developing the store’s aesthetic, to daily operations and analytical reporting, I have grown into a well-rounded member of the J Crew family.  I developed a system for product training for all associates to help deliver customer experience on multiple levels at the storefront, as well as developed Visual Managers. It is my continued effort to aid in the development of associate knowledge, as well as grow the business by allocating merchandise according to stock-to-sales results, consolidating goods within the markets, creating store specific social media outreach & marketing, & creating visual merchandising concepts/standards to create aesthetically pleasing & successful stores.  I have a passion for the work & a strong creative drive to deliver results.

The Men's Apparel Specialist takes the lead in collaboration with HQ on replenishment of goods, consolidations, re-orders of men’s product.  Additionally, communicating visual concepts, merchandising, mapping, allocations, and leading positive inventory results/sales results. I also played an integral role in store management:  Operations, daily tasks and goals, schedules, analytical roll in stock to sales, and executing merchandising adjustments. 
  


Men's Specialist Merchandiser

Inheriting the Fashion Island location in Newport Beach, Ca I was able to properly train/hire associates to achieve a positive increase in business in three short months, and maintain its successes. I managed schedules, hiring, and payroll to increase profitability for the store, while instilling standards, product knowledge, and visual merchandising how-to’s. In addition, I developed a team in all visual branding, shipment efficiency, merchandising, and floorsets via corporate standards, and collaborated with HQ to maximize the store’s successes. I worked hand-in-hand with action-sports vendors to deliver promising results and expectations.  My time was ultimately cut short when the Fashion Island store was closed for larger reasons beyond my control. I relocated and developed the Irvine Spectrum store before leaving the company. In my short but impactful time here, I received many accolades and grew the business in record time; setting many high benchmarks and developing staff.

Store Manager

After being recruited to take part in the grand opening of one of the most elite department stores in the world, I was handed four key departments to manage and oversee (Cosmetics, Y.E.S. Young Contemporary, Active Wear, Women’s Formal Gowns). Corroborating with department managers, I would lead a team of merchandisers to update sell-through, newness to the shops (aesthetically and product driven), while analyzing selling reports and trends; making sure the department store reads true to company expectations. Additionally, I co-coordinated the department stores’ overall visual concept; creating visual displays, maintaining appropriate seasonal looks, working with vendors on location and goods, and analyzing our department’s successes by merchandising the ebb and flow of the business.

Merchandising Manager

Derek Bullen is a Store Director (Former Visual Merchandising Manager) at J Crew in Costa Mesa, CA.

Derek Bullen

Derek Bullen

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