Writer-public service announcements
Producer- station manager

Creative Agencies

Fashion

Lifestyle

Outdoor

Skate

Snow

Streetwear

Surf

Swim

Triathlon

Wake

Yoga

Health & Fitness

Aspca

Oiwc

Conservation alliance

Green dog rescue

Management - Executive

Director Sales & Merchandising

Top Management

With over two decades dedicated to elevating trade retail marketing and customer experiences, my journey has led me to a pivotal role as National Sales Manager at Buff, Inc. Here, strategizing sales revenue goals accompanied with curated, profitable product assortments for robust sell-in and sell-through outcomes forms the crux of my mission, ensuring both brand and retail partners reap maximum profitability. I've managed over 1200 accounts globally and across North America, leading rover 30 brand representative agencies to success. My broad experience includes identifying and achieving sales targets with creative, solution driven strategies, Go to Market plans, DTC, B2B, digital marketing strategies and inventory curation and optimization. As the founder of Outdoor Industry Consulting, my vision extends beyond immediate sales targets to pioneering comprehensive sell-through strategies and merchandising services to continue to support the specialty retailer. The core of our success lies in crafting customized strategies that foster long-term partnerships, enhance retail design, and cement my commitment to driving innovation within the retail space, connecting brand and consumer. Channel experience includes outdoor, snow, run, angling, hunt, fashion, farm &amp; ranch and custom.

Principal Consultant

www.outdooriconsulting.com

I've decided to take matters into my hands and introduce the first consolidated website for sell through strategies, merchandising services, solutions and resources for friends in the Outdoor Industry. There's no denying the impact on sell through directly related to creative marketing, visual merchandising and strategy, but there's not always an opportunity to keep support on staff, and branded visits often occur far too infrequently and with limited scope. 

Outdoor Industry Consulting provides a passionate expert specific to the outdoor industry with 20 years experience in designing and creating unique customer experiences and relationships to your brand with a genuine consideration and commitment for maximum impact, profitability and success utilizing all channels. 

▶︎ Brand Strategy
▶︎ Retail marketing/POS
▶︎ Maximizing the often free industry tools and support readily available but hard to find
▶︎ Assortment Planning & strategy
▶︎ Visual Merchandising Services
▶︎ Development of Retail Environments
▶︎ Floor/fixture planning & profitability/ROI analysis
▶︎ Fixture Design/Merchandising Solutions/Clinics
▶︎ Resource Center for all things related to merchandising for the Outdoor Industry- fixtures/mannequins/props/display idea/clinic tools

Founder - Retail Strategies & Consulting for the Outdoor Industry

Sales Manager for Direct Markets, U.S. Targeting customer segmentation in snow, outdoor, run, bike, and angling. Focused equally on sell-in and sell-through with diverse and strategic product assortments for maximum results, margin and profitability to brand and retail partner.

National Sales Manager

• Generated  & fostered profitable business relationships with specialty and large format retailers
• Developed retail customer experience guidelines, standards & tactics, and branded environments to support and communicate brand messaging, culture, key initiatives and maximize profitability
• Focus on market segmentation and identifying key markets and end consumers for targeted assortments, marketing, design and sales approach.
• Managed and designed branded fixture program, planograms, and analysis of ROI
• Created synergies between marketing, design and sales to develop seasonal, wholesale POP programs, in store branding, educational materials and imagery. 
• POS generation, management, distribution, ROI and customer trend analysis
• Evaluated, developed and implemented sales tools which resulted in reduction of sales force expenses while improving agency and category sales.
• Conceived, contracted and administered international, bi-annual sales meetings. Improved venue selection and F & B while maintaining budgets for 120 attendees from 42 countries. Communicated developed programs for consistent seasonal brand marketing message and sales goals.
• Systemized brand presence at trade shows to improve efficiency and cost savings in booth design, logistics and marketing messaging. Won best of Show Award. Organized corporate travel arrangements and housing arrangements.
• Orchestrated and supported public relations manager and activities, promotional and retailer events, fashion shows, managing teams stimulating community engagement and involvement.

Director of Sales and Merchandising

• Managed Visual Merchandising team and branded fixture distribution and budgets to work with assigned accounts for set up of best in-store presentation of Marmot products.
• Collaborated with marketing to develop and distribute in store POP materials.
• Maintained and distributed trade show and salesman samples in a cost effective manner and within budget. Responsibilities included identifying colors and quantities of salesman’s samples for domestic and international agencies, in a manner that allowed optimum presentation of the seasonal product story.
• Researched and analyzed google analytic reports to monitor, forecast and assess sales activity and trends. Evaluated product and customer performance and profitability, inventory replenishment requirements, market risks and opportunities.
• Reported individual product sell-in performance, information about consumers’ buying habits, ways to improve customer service. Analyzed and communicated findings to sales, marketing, dealer service, product development and other internal partners.  
• Designed and distributed seasonal selling tools to team of 30 salesmen and over 800 retail accounts.  Responsibilities included management of merchandising website, clinic materials and new selling tools. 
• Planned and executed trade show and sales meeting presence.


Director of Business Development

Karen Smith is a Director Sales & Merchandising at Outdoor Industry Consulting in Santa Rosa, California.

Karen Smith

Karen Smith

Skills

Interests

Industries

Education history

University of San Francisco