Erin Connery
Buying Manager/Category Manager-Women's Activewear & Swimwear · Cotton On Body for Cotton On Group
Jacksonville, FL
In My Own Words
10+ years experience in retail buying. Curious by nature, entrepreneurial spirit, leader, fast-learner. I have a passion for retail and the customer; and love brands that have an inspiring culture with a dedication to people first. I am an adventurer who is always up for the next challenge! Track record for driving positive growth and productivity in both seasonal and year-round categories, across international markets. Strong financial acumen. Balancing the creative and the analytical side of buying, I think outside the box and bring the numbers to back my ideas and strategies. I have an equal passion for learning and development, and take great pride in building and retaining talent on my teams! Strong history in implementing and rolling out best practices to help us work smarter and drive the business. I bring passion and dedication to work each day, and always aim to inspire others to do the same. My specialties include: omnichannel merchandising, trend and market analysis with customer as the focus, developing and implementing strategies, international market knowledge, planning and forecasting, presentation skills, business analysis, test & respond, cross-functional partnership, vendor relationships, talent development, branding, & product development.
Work Experience
Buying Manager/Category Manager-Women's Activewear & Swimwear
Cotton On Body for Cotton On Group2016 – 2018
Worked for the Cotton On BODY brand- under the Cotton On Group- Australia's largest global retailer. Buying Manager for Activewear & Swimwear categories- contributing half of total Body business. Manage/develop team of 10, including buyers, assistant buyers, and product developers. Drive assortment and strategy in 10 Global Regions in both Southern & Northern Hemispheres. Close collaboration with trend & product development teams to deliver customer-centric ranges for each region, with freshness dropping monthly in both volume and fashion tiers. Identified opportunity to deliver trend through end-use/lifestyle, which helped focus and drive all product decisions. Partner with central planners in Australia, as well with in-region MM’s & Country managers across the globe. Tasked with turning around the Swim business. Implemented new product, pricing, & range strategies. Managed end-to-end, ensuring alignment across all partners & resulting in positive growth in average sell price, unit sales, dollar sales & profit. Focus on stock management and better sell-through performance, improved margins, decreased dilution, compelling product mix, improved quality and fit, and a more consistent customer experience. Introduced and implemented reports & processes to better analyze performance and make smart step-wise decisions. Driving read & react calendar to allow flexibility in product life-cycle. Traveled internationally for trend research, store visits, supplier visits, and in region market research. Recognized by group in quarterly award nominations for three quarters. Selected, alongside my planning partner, as model example of buyer/planner relationship for the Brand Values Book.
Explorer
Travel Sabbatical- Independent2015 – 2016
Sabbatical year to pursue my passion for world travel. Travelled internationally for 227 days, learned to say thank you in 25 countries, & made friends in 66 different cities! The trip involved great organization, a sense of adventure, and a willingness to step out of my comfort zone. I had amazing experiences, conquered fears, and navigated through unique challenges. I can confidently say that I accomplished my goal of personal growth, and returned with inspiration, drive, and renewed excitement for the next chapter. I have since helped several friends/contacts in planning their own travel.
Buyer
Pacific Sunwear2012 – 2014
Buyer Women's Essential Tops & Swimwear Experience in multi-channel merchandising; working with internal design team on private labels, buying off of established and emerging brands, and product development with market suppliers. Expertise in overseeing a successful, highly profitable franchise business (Essentials) - which produced triple digit comps in sales & margin; as well as managing a rapidly evolving trend driven business ( Swimwear). Owned-omnichannel approach- ensuring both B&M and Ecom growth. Developed, presented, and implemented category strategies. Ran weekly meetings with cross-functional partners and executive team. Displayed strength in analytical skills, customer/ market understanding, trend, team collaboration, and people development. Managed a team of assistant buyers, associate buyers & interns. Traveled internationally for trend forecasting, and locally for competitive shopping, tradeshows, and store visits. Women’s team lead on our online testing strategy with First Insights.
Associate Buyer
Pacific Sunwear2010 – 2012
Associate Buyer for Outlet Retail Stores- Women's Bottoms, Dresses, and Non-Apparel. Associate Buyer for Full Price Retail Stores & Ecom - Women's Knit Tops
Senior Assistant Buyer- Women's Bare Knits
American Eagle Outfitters2008 – 2010
Completed extensive training & developed strong foundation for buying in vertical teen retail environment. Completed Dale Carnegie presentation courses. Selected for AE Cross Functional Residency- a program in which I lived in NYC, working at the design/production offices, to gain a better understanding of a holistic business approach. Acted as the Test Lead for the men’s merchandising team, serving as the liaison for merchants, and helping to develop best practices for in-store testing process. Participated in store visits, trend trips, and campus recruiting, & taught teammate classes. Last position held was Sr Assistant Buyer of Women’s Bare Knits where I assisted in managing a $140M annual business.
Assistant Buyer
American Eagle Outfitters2007 – 2008
Assistant Buyer Teammate Training Feb 2007-May 2007 Assistant Buyer- Men's Accessories June 2007-April 2008 Assistant Buyer- Men's Underwear & Dormwear April 2008- Oct 2008