Alyssa H. Godwin
Senior Buyer, Women's Apparel
Minneapolis, MN · (508) 555 0151 · name@example.com · linkedin.com/in/alyssahgodwin
Key Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
Eleven years in retail buying and planning, five at senior buyer level
INDUSTRIES
Mass merchandise, moderate department stores, national chains
SPECIALTIES
Assortment planning, open to buy management, vendor negotiation, private label development
SYSTEMS
Oracle Retail Merchandising, Blue Yonder demand planning, Anaplan, Tableau, Microsoft Excel
CREDENTIALS
Certified Professional in Supply Management, Institute for Supply Management
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in retail merchandising, University of Minnesota
Executive Summary
Senior apparel buyer with eleven years in mass and moderate retail, currently owning a two hundred forty million dollar womens knitwear and denim book across six hundred stores. Builds assortments to comparable store sales targets, negotiates cost and terms directly with domestic and overseas vendors, and protects margin through disciplined markdown cadence.
Signature Achievements
- Delivered eight percent comparable store sales growth on a two hundred forty million dollar knitwear and denim book in fiscal year 2024.
- Lifted gross margin two hundred sixty basis points by shifting thirty percent of the assortment into private label programs.
- Negotiated vendor terms and freight allowances worth four point one million dollars in annual cost recovery.
- Improved season ending sell through from seventy one percent to eighty four percent by tightening the markdown cadence to a four week trigger.
- Built the opening assortment package for forty one new store openings and eleven remodels over three years.
- Reduced the number of active vendors from ninety four to fifty one without losing assortment breadth.
Professional Experience
Senior Buyer, Womens Knitwear and Denim
Northline Mercantile Stores, Minneapolis, MN 2020 to present
Six hundred store national chain, two hundred forty million dollars in annual retail sales, two associate buyers and one assistant reporting in.
- Own open to buy, receipt flow and markdown budget for the category against a monthly financial plan agreed with the planning director.
- Run seasonal line reviews with twenty six vendors, negotiating first cost, payment terms, defective allowances and freight structure.
- Partner with planning and allocation on size and climate curves so that store level assortments match regional selling patterns.
- Direct the private label program from concept board through fit sessions, technical packages and first production approval.
- Sign off on planogram intent and category resets with the visual merchandising and space planning teams.
Buyer, Womens Tops
Greatlakes Apparel Partners, Saint Paul, MN 2017 to 2020
Regional moderate chain of one hundred forty stores, eighty million dollar category.
- Managed a seasonal assortment of roughly nine hundred items and held in stock rate above ninety five percent on core replenishment.
- Cut aged inventory over one hundred twenty days by forty percent through a structured pack and hold program.
- Traveled to domestic market weeks and two overseas sourcing trips a year to place seasonal buys.
Assistant Buyer
Kettle Creek Outfitting Company, Duluth, MN 2014 to 2017
Regional specialty retailer of thirty stores plus a direct business.
- Maintained item setup, purchase order entry and vendor communication for two categories.
- Produced weekly selling recaps on sell through, weeks of supply and gross margin return on investment.
- Coordinated sample tracking and photography handoff for the seasonal catalog.
Licensure and Certification
Certified Professional in Supply Management, Institute for Supply Management, 2021
Member, National Retail Federation
Education
Bachelor of Science in retail merchandising, University of Minnesota, 2014
Core Skills
Assortment planning · Open to buy management · Vendor negotiation · Private label development · Markdown cadence · Gross margin return on investment · Line review leadership · Sell through analysis · New store assortment packages · Associate buyer development