Andrea P. Bostian
Retail Buyer, Women's Apparel
Portland, OR · (386) 555 0143 · name@example.com · linkedin.com/in/andreapbostian
Key Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
Nine years in apparel buying, five of them owning a category plan from concept through markdown
INDUSTRIES
Specialty apparel, outdoor and active, regional multi store chains
SPECIALTIES
Assortment planning, open to buy management, vendor negotiation, markdown cadence
SYSTEMS
Oracle NetSuite, Blue Yonder, Microsoft Excel, Tableau, Shopify
CREDENTIALS
Certified Professional in Supply Management, Institute for Supply Management
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in apparel merchandising, Oregon State University
Results at a Glance
11%
Two seasons
$218
Dollars across stores
340
Thousand dollars
22%
Shifting proven styles
Executive Summary
Retail buyer with nine years in specialty apparel, owning a 14 million dollar women's assortment across 62 stores and the online channel. Builds seasonal buys from comparable store sales trends, keeps open to buy disciplined, and negotiates vendor terms that protect initial markup.
Signature Achievements
- Grew comparable store sales in women's tops by 11 percent across two seasons by moving 300 thousand dollars of open to buy out of basics and into printed woven styles.
- Lifted sales per square foot in the women's zone from 218 dollars to 259 dollars across 62 stores in 18 months.
- Negotiated freight allowances and extended terms with nine core vendors, adding 340 thousand dollars of annual gross margin.
- Reduced season ending markdown exposure by 22 percent by shifting proven styles to a six week reorder cadence.
- Built an exclusive denim program that reached 1.9 million dollars in first year sales at a 58 percent initial markup.
Professional Experience
Retail Buyer, Women's Apparel
Alder Creek Outfitters, Portland, OR 2021 to present
Owns a 14 million dollar women's category across 62 stores and the online channel, working with one associate buyer and a dedicated planner.
- Writes the seasonal assortment plan by store cluster, balancing gateway locations that sell to visitors against neighborhood stores with a different size curve.
- Reviews open to buy monthly with planning and holds roughly 12 percent of the season back so best sellers can be chased in season.
- Runs quarterly vendor business reviews on sell through, fill rate and quality returns, and exits resources that miss delivery windows twice.
- Times receipt flow with visual merchandising and store operations so floor sets land ahead of advertised events rather than after them.
Associate Buyer
Rivermark Apparel Group, Seattle, WA 2017 to 2021
Supported two buyers across juniors and accessories for a 40 store chain in the Pacific Northwest.
- Wrote purchase orders, tracked receipt flow and cleared shortages with the distribution center before advertised launch dates.
- Analyzed weekly selling and recommended reorders, cancellations and markdown timing to the buying team.
- Coordinated fit sessions and sample approvals between vendors and technical design.
Licensure and Certification
Certified Professional in Supply Management, Institute for Supply Management
Education
Bachelor of Science in apparel merchandising and management, Oregon State University, 2015
Core Skills
Assortment planning · Open to buy management · Vendor negotiation · Comparable store sales analysis · Markdown strategy · Initial markup planning · Size and color curve analysis · Private label development · Vendor scorecards · Retail math