Amahle by Chantelle Wood

Amahle Marketing Plan Chantelle Wood 2015

Table of Contents

Executive Summary……………………………………………..…………………...2 ● Overview of marketing plan

Marketing Strategy………………………………………………………..………….3 ● Tactical decisions ● The four P’s

Consumer Profile………………………………………………..…………………..8 ● Demographics ● Psychographics

Geographic Analysis……………………………………………………………..…14 ● Weather ● Geography

International Location………………………………………………...……………17 ● Plan for location in Jakarta

Marketing Objectives…………………………………………………………....…19 ● Objectives for store improvement

Opening Strategy…………………………………………………………………...21 ● 12 months before opening ● Grand opening ● 12 months after opening

Employee Manual………………………………………………………………......27 ● Hiring ● List of duties ● Emergency plan

Financial Plan…………………………………………………………………..…..43 ● Predicted finances of Amahle

Executive Summary

This report will cover the elements of Amahle’s marketing plan, research on our target market, goals and plans for Amahle, international reach, and an employee manual. Our target market are tourist and locals alike coming to Pike Place Market. Our primary customer is a young female between 18-40 who loves to travel.

Pike Place Market is the perfect place for Amahle as it gets many international tourist and is considered an important part of the Seattle experience. We sell fashionable clothing and accessories that are from many different countries and inspired by world trends. We will be located on the second floor of Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA to the left of the stairs. We have a similar pricing plan to our competitors in order to compete with them. We sell quality clothing and our items are priced accordingly. Our goal for this location is: ● To increase brand awareness ● Expand our international and local customers ● Increase website traffic ● Educate our employees on our policies

About Amahle Amahle is a fashion retailer that specializes in clothing and accessories from world markets. Amahle is like taking a trip around the world as it features trends and fabrics from all around the globe. Here is where shoppers can find a variety of different fashions all in one place.

Marketing Strategy This section of the report focuses on the tactical decisions and broad strategies regarding our product, price, place, and promotion.

Product Amahle provides products that can be found from all around the world focusing on fashion clothing and accessories. Our consumers are tourists coming from many different countries. At this location we will have worldly products from counties our consumers are familiar with such as British, American, and Indian fashions. We will also have clothing from Africa, Mexico, Japan, and China.

We will start selling clothing items shown in the list below: ● Dresses ● Shirts ● Pants ● Jackets ● Skirts Our secondary merchandise will be accessories such as: ● Jewelry ● Shoes ● Hats ● Sunglasses ● Electronic accessories

Price We will sell quality merchandise at Amahle with a price range that reflects it, but prices must still be kept low in order to be competitive. Below is a chart of the price range of our clothing.

Item Type

Price Range

Dresses

$50-$110

Tops

$30-$55

Pants

$40-$100 3

Jackets

$40-$100

Skirts

$30-$60

Below is the pricing chart for the accessories we will sell.

Item Type

Price Range

Jewelry

$40-$100

Shoes

$50-$90

Hats

$30-$70

Sunglasses

$30-$60

Electronic Accessories

$40-$70

Our core products such as basic tees and pants will have a lower markup around 40%. Specialties items will vary more on popularity and demand but the markup will be higher, around 60% or more. Jewelry has the highest markup and select items will have up to a 90% markup.

Payment Our customers will have many ways in which they can pay for our product. We will accept currencies from major countries, below is the list of currencies we will accept1: ● ● ● ● ● ●

Indonesian Rupiah U.S. Dollar The Euro Japanese Yen British Pound Canadian Dollar

http://www.investopedia.com/articles/forex/11/popular-currencies-and-why-theyre-traded.asp

We will also accept major credit and debit cards (list below) as well as offer purchases online with these cards.

Place Amahleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s address is 1501 Pike Pl, Seattle WA and we will be located on the second floor of the Market to the left of the stairs. This is a prime location as it is near the famous Pike Place Fish and on the route to the gum wall, two well known locations at Pike Place.

Pike Place Market Pike Place Market is synonymous with Seattle and attracts over 8,000,000 tourists every year. Historically it had been a place where locals could sell their goods, but now stores are popping up that sell merchandise 5

from all over the world. It is now part of the seven-acre Historical District to preserve its physical and social character as "the soul of Seattle."2

Market History Established in 1907, Seattle's Pike Place Market is the oldest continuously operating and most historically authentic public market in the country. Pike street got its namesake from the Seattle pioneer and builder John Pike.3 Originally the purpose of this market was to cut out the middleman and have products that were coming straight from the farmers to the customer. Pike Place did surprisingly well during the 1920’s and 30’s and the market was the selling places to many American immigrants such as Joe Desimone. In 1941 Joe Desimone purchased Pike Place Market and guided it through World War II. 1st Avenue attracted thousands of sailors and soldiers along with ration-book bargain hunters.4 Of the hundreds of stalls in Pike Place, half were removed a year later due to the internment of Japanese-Americans. It was then that a campaign begun to recruit donors who for $35 could have a name placed on a floor tile. These very tiles can still be seen today on the floor of the market place. In 1963 the city plans were to demolish Pike Place to make room for some needed buildings. When the people heard of this protest were held and people brought picket signs to show their love for the iconic Seattle landmark. Their work paid off and in 1971 a historic preservation zone was created cementing the Market’s place in Seattle’s future. August 17, 2007 Pike Place Market celebrated its 100th year anniversary and today it still stands as one of the most iconic parts of Seattle.

Promotional & Advertising Strategy Walk-ins and repeat customers will make up a majority of our sales but we still need other ways to pull in new customers. Different social medias we will use to get to our target market is Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. We will also use hard copy methods like pamphlets, business cards and flyers. We will also buy seasonal billboards and building posters to advertise. 47.7% of users on Facebook fall within the 18-34 demographic, just in our target market.5 30% of user on

http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/preservation/pikeplace.htm http://www.seattle.gov/tour/historicdistricts/market/ 4 http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/history 5 http://istrategylabs.com/2014/01/3-million-teens-leave-facebook-in-3-years-the-2014-facebook-demographic-report/ 3

Twitter are 18-29 and and 87% of people who use Pinterest are female.6 It would be very valuable marketing to go on those three sites in particular.

Direct Marketing Strategic Remembering our location is tourist heavy we will want to target our marketing towards them to make sure they know about us. We can do this by giving nearby hotels our business cards and pamphlets as well as getting in their concierge booklet. We will also strategically place standing posters around the Market with directions on how to find us.

http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Twitter-Use-Rises-Across-US-Age-Groups/1010119

Consumer Profile This section of the report goes over the profile of the customers including their demographics and psychographics. Other information that is included here is general information about the Seattle.

Demographics Knowing the demographics of a place of business is the fundamental beginnings of knowing our customer. This allows us to start the process of selling to potential customers once we have the quantitative data and statistics of a certain group and area.

Population of Seattle As of 2012 the estimated population of Seattle has become 634,535 residents, where in the 2010 census the population was 608,660, a 4.3% increase. This census also revealed that the population-weighted density of Seattle is 4721.6 people per square mile. Males: 316,9547 Females: 317,581

(50.0%)

Another factor we must look at is the ethnicities of the local area. A majority of the United States population is white but depending on where in America the statistics can change. The chart to the right is for the Seattle area. Notice the Asian population is the greatest minority.

When we take a closer look at just Seattle we can see the Asian population is 5% more 7

http://www.city-data.com/city/Seattle-Washington.html

than the next closest ethnicity.

Now looking at our store we must keep in mind the ratio of clothes from the countries we buy. Knowing the Asian demographic is the second highest we should always keep in stock with clothes from China, Japan, Korea etc. Knowing the asian demographic is slightly higher than any other race it is important to keep merchandise in stores that would appeal to them.

Housing When people are buying houses and new complexes are being built, it shows a healthy, growing economy which is always good for business. The graph to the right shows that since 2010 new housing units have continued to increase. People settle down when they feel economically comfortable to buy houses. According to CLR search only 3.31% of living units are vacant which is 50% less than the national average. â&#x20AC;&#x2039; Seattle home values have gone up 8.4% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will rise 5.1% within the next year.

Tourism Pike Place receives heavy traffic in regards to tourists, so it is important to look at the forecast for tourism in Seattle. The Seattle-King County area attracts more than 8.8 million overnight visitors annually who spend $6.9 billion and contribute more than $416 million in state and local tax revenues. Direct visitors spending supports 50,000 jobs in the Seattle region. The Port of Seattle has seen cruise ships 9

grow in recent years, with an estimated 186 sailings and 429,413 passengers expected in 2011. 8 Of the roughly 5,000 passengers that disembark the cruise ships on Saturday and Sunday mornings the Lead Concierge estimates that between 600 and 700 people are directed to the Market by Bell Harbor staff. The Market is their number one referral because of interest as well as ease of access.

Pictured above is all the flights that come directly, nonstop to Seattle. By 2012 three new direct flights from China have been made doubling the number of passenger flights. The total of 10.2 million visitors came through King County last year, and 20 percent of them were international tourists, according to Visit Seattle’s 2013 annual report. A quarter of these foreign visitors came from China, just behind Japan, but ahead of the UK, Korea, Germany, France and Australia. According to Port of Seattle each time a homeport ship docks in Seattle it contributes $2.1 million to the local economy. It is predicted that in the year 2014 Seattle will host about 180 cruises ships. That mean at least 378 million in accumulated tourist spending.9

8 9

http://www.seattle.gov/oir/datasheet/tourism.htm http://contextchina.com/2013/04/visitors-from-china-take-top-spot-in-growing-seattle-tourism/

Market Features

Attractive Market Features ● There are many other competitors in the area like Little Shanghai, World Market, Hands of the world, and Beyond Threads. ● The stores in Pike Place are all within walking distance, making shopping from one area to another easy. ● The Alaskan Viaduct is undergoing construction to making traveling easier and safer to drive on. ● Pike Place is a tourist hot spot bringing customers from all around the world. ● Many of the shops have undercover areas to keep the rain away and keep customers dry while shopping.

Difficulties and Problems in the Market ● Foot traffic is constantly an issue and busy days make traveling to the store more of a challenge. ● Crime rate in Seattle is double that of the national average so extra precaution must be put into consideration. 10 ● Rent in Seattle is very expensive which is hard on a new business. ● The spaces available in Pike Place are quite small and sometimes hard to navigate your way to them. Signs will have to be put in place. ● Parking is not very accessible and in most cases the customer will have to pay an hourly fee to park near the Market.

Existing Demand for the Product ● Pike Place has recently been expanding the amount of stores that sells products from around the world. This shows an interest in the market. ● There are store that will sell specialty items and crafts from around the world but not fashionable clothing. ● Any store that does sell clothing from around the world only has them from certain countries. ● Even with recent technology getting fashionable clothing from around the globe is difficult for the average person. This store will make getting them more accessible.

https://www.clrsearch.com/Vancouver-Demographics/WA/?compare=seattle%2Cwa

VALs Two things that must be understood about our customer, their motivation for buying and the resources they have. Only then can we start the process of communicating with our customer and we can start strategic marketing. VALs gives us a closer look at who's buying our product as well as a detailed analysis of consumer profiles and personalities. When we have a clear idea of who our customer is then we can really begin to market to them. Below is the VALs chart from strategicbusinessinsights.com.

Strivers11 Strivers are trendy and fun loving. Because they are motivated by achievement, Strivers are concerned about the opinions and approval of others. Money defines success for Strivers, who don't have enough of it to meet their desires. They favor stylish products that emulate the purchases of people with greater material wealth. Many Strivers see themselves as having a job rather than a career, and a lack of skills and focus often prevents them from moving ahead. Strivers are active consumers because shopping is both a social activity and an opportunity to demonstrate to peers their ability to buy. As consumers, they are as impulsive as their financial circumstance will allow.

Experiencers Experiencers are motivated by self-expression. Young, enthusiastic, and impulsive consumers, Experiencers quickly become enthusiastic about new possibilities but are equally quick to become disinterested. They seek variety and excitement, savoring the new, the offbeat, and the risky. Their energy finds an outlet in exercise, sports, outdoor recreation, and social activities. Experiencers are avid consumers and spend a comparatively high proportion of their income on fashion, entertainment, and socializing. Their purchases reflect the emphasis that they place on looking good and having "cool" stuff.

http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/about.shtml

Innovators Innovators are successful, sophisticated, take-charge people with high self-esteem. Because they have such abundant resources, they exhibit all three primary motivations in varying degrees. They are change leaders and are the most receptive to new ideas and technologies. Innovators are very active consumers, and their purchases reflect cultivated tastes for upscale, niche products and services. Image is important to Innovators – not as evidence of status or power – but as an expression of their taste, independence, and personality. Innovators are among the established and emerging leaders in business and government, yet they continue to seek challenges. Their lives are characterized by variety. Their possessions and recreation reflect a cultivated taste for the finer things in life.

PRIZMs Demographics, consumer behaviors, and geographic data are all essential information about our customer that we need to know. PRIZMs gives us a comprehensive look at them using this information. PRIZMs help us tailor our products and messages in order to truly reach our customers.

Young Digerati12 Young Digerati are tech-savvy and live in fashionable neighborhoods on the urban fringe. Affluent, highly educated, and ethnically mixed, Young Digerati communities are typically filled with trendy apartments and condos, fitness clubs and clothing boutiques, casual restaurants and all types of bars – from juice to coffee to microbrew.

Young Achievers Young, trendy singles are the prime residents of Young Achievers, a lifestage group of early twenty year olds who've recently settled in metro neighborhoods. Their incomes range from mid to higher end, but most residents are still renting apartments in cities or suburbs. This segment has a high percentage of Asian singles, and there's a decidedly progressive sensibility in their tastes as reflected in the group's liberal politics, alternative music, and lively nightlife. Young Achiever segments are twice as likely as 12

http://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegments/Default.jsp

the general population to include college students living in group quarters.

Bohemian Mix A collection of mobile urbanites, Bohemian Mix represents the nation's most liberal lifestyles. Its residents are an ethnically diverse, progressive mix of young singles, couples, and families ranging from students to professionals. In their funky row houses and apartments, Bohemian Mixers are the early adopters who are quick to check out the latest movie, nightclub, laptop, and eclectic drinks.

Maslowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hierarchy of Needs Why do our customer need to buy our products? This fundamental question directly ties in with the Maslowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study. Understanding what type of need our product falls into will allows us to better market and sell our product.

Our product falls primarily into three categories, self-actualization, self-esteem, as well as physiological needs. When our customer comes into our store they are looking for a way to express themselves. Clothes will be a daily part of their look and therefore an important part of showing the world who they are. Like cosmetics our product also goes into the self-esteem category because it helps with their confidence and gives them a way to uniquely express their personal taste. We must also remember that our merchandise is a physiological need too. Everyone wears clothes and it is a fundamental need of everybody.

Geographic Analysis Seattle’s located on the Puget Sound in Washington state, just south of the Canadian border. 41% of Seattle is water and the land area is 217 sq km. Even though over the years efforts to level out the terrain of Seattle have been made it is still quite steep due to the city being built on several hills. Pike Place Market is located just above sea level and is relatively level compared to the rest of Seattle. The Market is on Elliott Bay and is just off of the Alaskan Viaduct.13 Currently the Alaskan Viaduct is undergoing construction to make it a safer and faster way to travel. It will be a two-mile long tunnel under Seattle that will connect to the south entrance of the tunnel, near Seattle’s stadiums. Cars aren’t the only way Seattleites get to and from, public transportation is popular choice as well.

The graph above from Movoto shows that besides riding in their own vehicle, taking the bus is the next most popular choice. 18% of people living in Seattle use the bus system and 8% walk to get to where they’re going.

http://www.seattle.gov/html/visitor/location.htm

Climate The climate in Seattle is notorious for being wet and rainy when in actuality the average rainfall per inch is only 34. The most interesting fact is that Seattle sees about 152 days of rain and yet it is normally a light sprinkle. The weather is relatively mild all year round where the winters are cold (38 °F ) and the summers are warm (70 °F ). 14 With this knowledge it is important to take proper precautions depending on the weather in the location of a business. In our case we must have awnings above our door to keep our customers dry. It would also be beneficial if we provided umbrella bags so customers won’t have to carry wet umbrellas.

http://www.usclimatedata . com/climate.php?location=USWA0395

International Location

If our Pike Place location does well we can begin to start planning to expand into international locations. In this section of the report we will go over the competitive analysis in the area of the proposed location, as well as a marketing strategy to succeed in an international market.

Competitive Strategy To compete with our competitors we must first examine what they have done to improve their noticeability in the market. A majority of their marketing is on billboards that cover many building in the city. Even though the native language is Indonesian the signs are in English and Indonesian due to the fact the target market are foreign travels from English speaking countries. We must continually update what merchandise is sold to stay competitive. Zara recently added a home furnishing line to their international market15 . Topshop advertises and works with local and international celebrities to increase brand awareness. Any international retailer could be a potential competitor if they are involved in social media and have an online presence. Forever 21 is a great example of utilizing websites and social media. They have a focused mobile ad web campaign and have allowed user to buy merchandise through their mobile device. The image to the right is an example of a Japanese banner advertisement for Forever 21. Amahle will participate in social media like Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. The key to success in social media is to frequently update with relevant and brand building information. Amahle will also have a website where customers can buy merchandise online to increase sales.

http://www.zarahome.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/home/zarahomeus/-15/80279977

Market Trends Overall internationally the economy is on the rise. Not only does that mean consumers will increase spending but our target marketing will travel for leisure as well as work. Since this location depends on tourist this is essential to know that leisurely travel is on the rise among our customers. As mentioned above, online presence has become increasingly important to stay relevant in the retail industry. Not only are more business increasingly focusing on e-commerce, but they’re looking at their social media presence as well. This increased customer connection with the brand creates a stronger brand loyalty.

SWOT Analysis for International Location Strength Amahle ● Has a great variety of world fashions ● Prices are good compared to quality of product ● Has no other competitors that sells the worldwide fashions Competitors ● Supply-chain is fast and very efficient ● Are well known international brands ● Has great low prices

Weakness Amahle ● Products come from all over, making supply chain difficult ● Is a new company ● Doesn't have a big international presence Competitors ● Merchandise is poorer quality to keep price low ● Brand image is not as recognizable ● Has had problems with copying runway style too closely

Opportunities

Threats

Amahle ● World economy is steadily rising ● Shopping Mall attracts tourist ● Participates in social media which helps connect the brand to customers Competitors ● E-commerce gives customers another platform to purchase merchandise on ● Have a well established brand name ● Social media is a great way to connect with customers

Amahle ● Competitors have a very fast supply chain ● Competitors prices are lower ● Customers are increasingly becoming more knowledgeable about products Competitors ● Competitors sell higher quality merchandise ● Competitors customers are loyal to their brand ● Less customers are shopping in brick and mortar stores

Marketing Objectives

In order to assess the successfulness of the store, Amahle must meet the below listed objectives. Growth and forward movement towards these objects shows a healthy, growing business. Each objective has sub goals listed beneath to further determine whether or not Amahle is reaching its goals. 1) I ncrease net profits via supply chain cost reduction ●

Lower cost of supply chain by having great communication with vendors

●

Monitor shoplifting and employee theft closely with video feed

●

Improve overall image to support more sales by providing great customer service

2) Increase brand recognition regionally

●

Hire all different nationalities in advertising to appeal to a worldwide customer

●

Show advertisements on nearby local establishments

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Produce coupons on social media to increase connectivity between customers and Amahle

3) Reduce overall budget cost

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Reduce the amount of customer returns by selling high quality merchandise

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Trump competitors by having the lowest price for the quality sold

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Reduce packing cost by having the minimal amount of packing inserts necessary

4) Increase Site Traffic

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Have links in partner website

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Partner with celebrities on social media

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Include pamphlet for site in sold products

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Hand out cards for website during in-store transactions

5) Increase Sales

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Improve online presents with partner links and an active social media

●

Reducing returns of damaged merchandise but selling highest quality merchandise for Amahle’s price range

●

Increasing global brand awareness by having a strong online presence and advertising overseas and appealing to foreign customers

6) Improve Online Visibility

●

Join relevant social medias

●

Join relevant forum websites

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Have targeted words for search engines

7) Establish brand on social media

●

Stay on relevant social medias

●

Update frequently

●

Engage the online community with content marketing 20

â&#x2014;?

Offer online only promotions

Opening Strategy The opening strategy briefly covers all the activities that must be complete before the grand opening of Amahle. Below is the overview of what the 12 months prior to the grand opening of Amahle and the suggested timeline it could occur in. Light colors stand for soft dates and openings.

Tactical Plan Gantt Chart: 12 Months Prior KPI

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

March

April

May

June

July

Aug

Sept

Secure location Interior Construction Contact Vendors Hire Management Interior Design Social Media Visual Merchandise 21

Jobs Signs Interview Train Receive Merchandise Film Soft Opening Advertise Grand opening

12 Months Prior to the Opening of Amahle ●

We would secure the location by paying any fees, rent and signing the lease contract.

●

The start the interior design such as fixing the walls with imperfections, redoing floors if necessary and painting the walls.

●

We would then contact our vendors Africa imports, Global Good Partners, Krochet Kids, Apexes and Sercal.

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A management team must be hired via searching other store managers and online hiring sites.

●

The next stage of interior design includes painting the mural, putting up shelves and racks.

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We will be apart of three social medias Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest will be set up.

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We will then start the hiring process of associates by using online sites like jobsearch.com, Craigs List and monster.com.

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The signs then need to be printed and made and be ready to set up.

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After we look through resumes and interview potential employees.

●

Employees will then be trained to know how we run Amahle and use the electronics and know-how of our store.

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Once the merchandise comes in and we will start window displays, fold clothes and fill up racks.

●

We will then film the commercial for North West Best TV show and they will set it up.

●

A soft opening will be before any of our advertising to see how effective our advertising efforts

are. ●

Advertising will then start, such as commercials, business cards at hotels and flyers and signs around Pike Place.

Grand Opening The grand opening will occur after the soft opening so it can be assessed how effective Amahle’s advertising efforts have been. After the soft opening all of Amahle’s advertising will be released.

Out front of Amahle we will have employees handing out coupons and flyers in front of a table. The table will have a display board that has our mission statement and tells about who we are and what we stand for. It will show how we get our items and why we do it and the meaning behind our name.. There will be small cupcakes on display in earth tones available to those who enter Amahle. The display will be congruent with the theme of our store. Music will be louder than normal to draw in new customers and create a focus at the door. The music will be songs from around the world. Signs and banners on the front will let every passerby know it is the the grand opening of Amahle. Inside the music will continue and we will have grand opening sales throughout the store. Next to the checkout will be a trivia display game of patterns from around the world and where they come from. The questions will be multiple choice. If a customer gets a question right they will get a free swag bag with our logo on it. We will also have complimentary tea available inside the store to go with the cupcakes. Everyone who comes into our store will receive a discount where if they come back any time in the next week they will get a discount on their entire purchase.

Tactical Plan Gantt Chart: 1st Year of Business Light colors stand for soft dates and openings.

KPI

Oc t

No v

Dec

Jan

Feb

March

April

May

June

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Social Media Advertising Hire Event Sale Buy Items Pay Vendors Review Travel Clean Up 24

Event Set Up Trade Show Local Events

1st Year After the Opening of Amahle

●

Right away we will update our social media about the opening and discounts at our store.

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We will then advertise again and prepare for the upcoming holiday season.

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We will hire seasonal help through December to help with the additional customers.

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After the holidays we will restock with new merchandise for spring.

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The following month we will payback our venders 10% to get their discount.

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In store and online through our social media we will have surveys for our customers to see their opinions on our store.

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We will then advertise again for the summer season through North West Best and renewing our flyers.

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The lead manager will then go traveling to find new vendors we can buy merchandise from.

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Walls and floors will then be prepared if need be and other fixes around the store.

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We will then prepare for our trade show and any events we will be in throughout the summer.

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We will then go to the Seattle Gift Show to explore 10,000 national and innovative new product lines. 25

â&#x2014;?

We will also set up at the Seattle Bumbershoot festival to widen our range of customers.

Employee Manual The employee manual is to be given to and used by employees to inform them of their duties, what to do in an emergency, policies and other topics relating to being employed at Amahle.

Hiring Process Filled in applications with rĂŠsumĂŠ can then be personally handed in the store or through the website. Stores should print out applications from the website to have on hand at all times. Applications that are handed in should be given to the present manager. The manager will have an assigned drawer to put it in or a personal office. Later the general manager will look over the applications of the day, if any. After reviewing the application an interview should be done via phone. These will be a basic interview. Ask questions such as: 26

● ● ● ● ● ●

What is your availability? When can you start? What was your previous salary? What is your desired salary? What was your last job and what ended it? What qualification do you have?

Any other question about their application and résumé should be asked at this time as well. Once it is decided if they are a possible candidate an in-person interview can be done. Schedule a day for them to come in and plan it on a day that will not be too busy. The interview should take place somewhere quiet such as a back office. All questions ask in the phone interview can be gone over again. Other question to ask are: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What would your ideal job be? Why did you leave your current job? What did you like most about your last job? What did you like the most about your last job? What annoys you most about other people and how do you deal with it? If someone criticizes your work how would you deal with it? What was the last project you worked on and how did it turn out? What are three words someone would use to describe you? Where do you see yourself in five years?

Ask as many questions as time allows and feel free to ask other ones beside what are listed here. Questions should touch topics such as previous jobs, salary, and work habits as well as behavioral. The goal of the interview is not only see if they are the best available candidate but if they fit the image of the company. How the interviewee acts and dresses should be noted. If they are unable to comply with the dress code they cannot be hired.

Job Descriptions Below is the list of duties of each member of the team

General Manager The general manager oversees all position and is in charge of the success of the entire store. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Provide leadership and vision and organize meetings Recruit staff Manage Human Resources Solve customer situations Provide staff with product knowledge Place orders with vendors Notify staff of new policy procedures Coordinate staff schedule Overall planning of the store

Assistant Manager

Assistant manager has similar responsibilities as general manager. The main duty is to assist the general manager and help manage staff. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Provide staff with product knowledge Supervise employees Enforce policies Manage inventory problems Delegate task to employees Train new employees Motive employees to succeed and improve Assist in implementing action plans Assist with inventory control Ensure consistency in daily housekeeping

Lead Sales Associate Has all the same duties as a sales associate along with additional responsibility delegated by the manager. Coach and develop sales associate Work with sales associates to solve minor customer issues ● Assist in maintaining store appearance ● Assist with inventory counts and discounts ● Assist in the training of new employees ● Assist in other task assigned by managers ● ●

Sales Associate This is the general employee who assist customers in their needs and keep up the appearance of the store. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Cashiering duties Maintain clean store appearance Return shoes to the proper place Package shoes in boxes Retrieve shoes from storage Place merchandise on sales floor Complete inventory markdown Assist customers with needs

Lead Merchandiser 29

Oversee the finances of the merchandise and ensure the proper delivery of the items. Also helps train and manager other merchandisers. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Accurately forecast trends Plan promotions Responsible for the quantity of merchandise bought Responsible for how much is spent on merchandise Set prices Work with buyer Ensure merchandise arrives on time Oversee distribution Work with suppliers Encourage and train merchandisers Present sales forecast

Merchandiser Merchandisers help in the planning of merchandise buying and trending. Ensure merchandise gets to store in a timely matter. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Forecast profits and sales Maintain library of purchasing history Control stock level Use computer software to prediction buying Monitor competitors Collect customer's reaction to products Identify supply deficiencies Help with other tasks lead merchandiser delegates

Lead Shipping Oversees the shipping out of products and merchandise. Responsible for safety of shipping staff and supervises goals. ● ● ● ● ● ●

Check merchandise into computer system Delegate duties to other shippers Processes damage or otherwise imperfect products Ensure purchasing and receiving order is accurate In charge of receiving paperwork Ensure shipping goals are met 30

Overlook safety of the shipping department ● Provide leadership to other shippers ● Review performances and encourages ● Improve all processes in shipping ●

Shipping Ready products for shipment and inspect to defects. Ship and pack products. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Use a forklift to move goods Package up shoes Ensure product is ready for shipment Ensure quality of goods before shipment Use computer to find location of products Notify damaged good to lead shipper Load shipments into delivery trucks Count correct amount of inventory

Loss Prevention Ensures a secure and safe shopping retail experience while stopping and preventing external and internal theft. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Ensure staff is following safety regulations Developed loss prevention strategies Inspect stock and floor for missing items Explain loss prevention techniques to staff In the case of theft prepare case reports Conduct basic surveillance Identify thefts and act appropriately Investigate possible theft Resolve thievery incidences

Training Each job requires slightly different training and requires different people to complete the training. Each job will be gone over separately in this section as well as the person who will train the new employees.

General Manager Most general managers will already have experience being managers but may need additional training to acclimate to a shoes store. Ideally the previous or current general manager should do the training.

Assistant Manager Assistant managers should be trained by the general manager. The manager will show them all the duties of a general manager and how the assistant manager can help them. It is also important to go over the duties of employee that will be under their management.

Lead Sales Associate Lead sale associate should have extensive knowledge of the duties of a sales associate as many of them will be promoted sale associates. Lead or assistant managers can train a lead sales associate. Managers must also prepare lead sales associates for the responsibility of a manager.

Sales Associate General training should be done with either managers but detail duties can be done with the lead sales associate.

Lead Merchandisers Lead merchandiser should be trained by current lead merchandisers. Duties not part of regular merchandiser should be gone over. General managers can also help train and may insist a job shade of current lead merchandiser.

Merchandisers The lead merchandiser will the majority of the training, smaller duties can be taught by current merchandiser. A job shade of lead merchandiser may also be beneficial as many duties coincide with lead merchandiser.

Lead Shipping Training should be taught by current lead shipping. Safety is a priority to go over even if they have held a lead shipping position as our shipping standards and procedures might differ. Computer systems and forklift operating should be part of the training.

Shipping Training for the shipping position can be done by either the lead shipper or a respected shipper. Direction on how the shipping is to be done must be thorough and procedures must be done exactly how taught.

Loss Prevention Loss prevention training should be done by a senior loss prevention employee. Safety procedures and store and local policies must be gone over in depth. Every store must try to be as uniform as possible but local policies on how to deal with a theft trump it.

Corrective Action The goal with corrective action is to guide an employee away from the unacceptable behavior. Acts that will make a supervisor use corrective action against an employee is: Absences Constantly taking days off before a big project ● Continually “sick” on the same day such as Monday ● Continually late to work ● Not coming in for work ●

Presentability Clothes appear dirty or stained Unkempt appearance ● Bad hygiene ● ●

Attitude ●

Rude comments 33

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Disrespectful behavior Lying

Corrective Action Order

Step 1: Oral Warning Schedule a meeting with the employee ● State clearly that they are being issuing an oral warning ● Describing the unacceptable performance or behavior ● Remind the employee of the acceptable standards or rules ● State the consequences if they do not follow through ●

Step 2: Written Warning ● ● ●

Clearly state the offence Restate previous steps told to correct behavior Explain expected behavior

Step 3: Action A suspension without pay that prevents an employee from working and is without pay for one or more days.

Job Qualifications Before a candidate is chosen it is essential that they have all of the necessary qualification for the job they are applying for. Below is the given qualification for each job.

General Manager

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Staffing Management skills Good coordination Coaching abilities Financial planning and strategy planning Process improvement abilities Outstanding decision making Strategic planning skills Quality management skills Minimum 2 year in management position High school education or GED equivalent

Assistant Manager 35

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

High school education or GED equivalent Learn and develop performance appraisal skills Leadership skills Communication skills Management abilities Accountable Able to respond to events quickly Minimum 2 year in retail

Lead Sales Associate ● ● ● ● ●

High school education or GED equivalent Management potential Communication skills Management abilities Minimum 2 year in retail

Sales Associate ● ● ●

High school education or GED equivalent Able to lift 50 lb Communication skills

Lead Merchandiser High school education or GED equivalent Minimum 2 years in field Forecasting and trend abilities Presentation skills Financial planning abilities Good communication skills Ability to communicate effectively Self management skills

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● ● ● ● ● ●

Merchandiser ● ● ●

High school education or GED equivalent Previous retail experience Forecasting and trend abilities

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Presentation skills Financial planning abilities Good communication skills Ability to communicate effectively Self management skills

Emergency Response Plan & Procedures This section deals with procedures and action that must take place in the case of an emergency. Situations such as fire, theft, acts of nature and power outage will be covered. Emergencies will seldom occur but steps must be taken in case one arises. Each store must also take cautionary procedures to reduce the chances of an emergency occurring. Fire The following steps are cautionary and are done in order to avoid a fire and should be done prior to the threat of one. In case of a fire see next section. Have the local fire department or fire marshal conduct an assessment of the safety of the store and check for fire hazards. If a fire hazard is identified determine severity of it, and the possibility of having it removed. As much as possible should be done to have any fire hazards removed but if it is not possible consult the fire department for what the next step should be. Signs in relevant languages should be posted at all fire exits where they can be clearly seen. The signage used must be approved signage from the fire department and easily readable. There should always be a means of escape in the say of a fire and they should clear of any obstructions at all times. Additional signage might be necessary if the pathway to the exit is unclear or changes direction and might cause confusion.

Signs should also be placed near safety equipment that include words as well as images showing how and when to use the equipment. Stores must have safety numbers in case of a fire near phones that can be clearly read. Signage pictorially describing what to do in case of a fire should also be visible to staff and customers. Fire safety equipment such as a fire extinguisher should be on hand and have proper signage to go with it. Back rooms are not good places to keep fire extinguishers, instead, registers and sidewalls are preferred. Fire alarms should be placed throughout the store with at least one in every room. The alarm should be easily heard in all places of the building.

In Case of a Fire These steps are to be taken in the event of a fire, to see how to prevent a fire see previous section. Fires are to be dwelt with differently depending on the service and location of the fire. Small-Contained Fires (SCF) If a fire starts in a microwave but is immediately extinguish by opening the microwave door no further steps need to be taken. After a small fire has been stomped out properly open a window to air out room. If a SCF starts on the merchandise floor customers must be evacuated. Large Fires 1.

Announce over the intercom at least three times for all customers to exit the building. If the store is accepted with elevators announce they cannot be used to exit building. 2. Sound fire alarm if it is not already sounded 3. Never fight a fire alone. If safe, use fire extinguisher on fire. Keep in mind during a fire: ●

Smoke is just as deadly as a fire. If smoke is prevalent, crawl to nearest exit and cover mouth with a damp cloth.

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Before opening a door feel for heat on other side. If heat is felt do not open door as it could mean fire.

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Once door is safe to open close it on your way through to stop the spread of the fire. 38

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All employees should be well informed and aware of fire safety producers. Fire exits, safety equipment and plans should all be discussed and known long before any emergencies might take place. Staff should know all location of fire department numbers, fire extinguishers, and exits.

Theft Theft can happen internally and externally but for the most part external theft pose more of a threat. This section of Emergency Response and Procedures will deal what to do in case of a theft in progress and what to do afterwards. Safety is always the priority over any items that might be taken and caution must be taken when dealing with a shoplifter. For minimizing inventory loss look under Inventory Control for Loss Prevention. The Do’s and Don'ts of Confronting a Possible Shoplifter

Don’t

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Assume that a customer is stealing, there may be a misunderstanding

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Put your life on the line for the sake of the merchandise. Your life is more important than any item a shoplifter might take.

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Physically block possible shoplifter or lock the door. A trapped person may feel the need to resort to violence.

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Restraint possible shoplifter or hold on to them

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Ask if they would like to purchase item in question or if they need help

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Stay out of reach from shoplifter

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Play it safe to stay out of harm’s way

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Walk away if you feel uneasy or frightened

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Never directly accuse a customer of stealing, as there just might be a misunderstanding. A

threatened person may feel the need to resort to violence. 39

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If you sense danger call the police or if you suspect a very expensive item has been stolen.

Once the shoplifter has left fill out a shoplifting form for the state the store is in and list as many details as you can remember about the shoplifter. Some features to list are:

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Approximate height and weight

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Hair style and color

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Ethnicity

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Notable marks (scars, tattoos, etc.)

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Behavior

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Attire

Robbery Robberies can become violent very quickly so it is best to stay calm and not agitate the robber. This section goes over what to do in the event of a robbery. All employees should be informed of the steps to taken in case one occurs.

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Keeping yourself safe is more important than money being stolen.

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During the robbery keep as calm as if it were any other transaction.

The Do’s and Don'ts During a Robbery Don’t

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Resist giving the money over to the robber

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Lock the door to prevent robber from leaving

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Assume there is no weapon even if one is not visible

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Activate the alarm till after the robber has left 40

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Observe details about the robber without staring

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Ask the robber for clarification if you cannot understand them

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Notify the robber of any people or noises that may surprise them

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Avoid surprising the robber, keep your hands where they can see

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Keep the situation as brief as possible

After the robber has left: Don’t

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Let any witness leave until the police arrive. Make sure they are as comfortable as possible while waiting

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Chase down the robber. Let the robber leave

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Allow anyone to tamper with the crime scene or anything that might be considered evidence

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Discuss details of the robbery with anyone. This might affect the witnesses stories

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Call the police and report the incident

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Lock the store

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Fill out a report on details of what the robber looked like

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Keep all witnesses in the store

Make sure that everyone is safe but do not let any of the witnesses leave. Once the police arrive they need to tell the police what they saw. Lock the door to keep any customer from entering as the store is now a crime scene.

Acts of Nature

Nature is unpredictable but the steps in case of one occurs are straightforward. Acts of nature range from tornadoes, floods, power outages and hurricanes; these are a few that we will talk about in this section. Depending on the area of the store more in depth steps may be needed and can be obtained from the local emergency department. If the store is an area where any of these acts of nature might be common prepared steps must be taken. Signs of potentially dangerous nature approaching will also be discussed in this section. Tornadoes If the store the building is located in an area known for tornadoes these precautionary steps must be taken: Have a designated safe room; one that is connected to the ground without any windows.

Basements are not recommended as heavy rains are common with tornadoes and may flood. 2.

Prepare an emergency kit. This should include food, water, and means of communication that do

not require electricity. 3.

Secure large furniture. Tables, large mannequins, and shelves should all be secure in a manner that

won’t come loose during a tornado. It is optimal if large items are not near windows or mirrors. Remember: these steps are only necessary if the store is in a high-risk area of tornadoes. Warning Signs of an Impending Tornado:

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Most tornados occur in a thunderstorms, so heavy rain and high wind are potential warning signs

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Debris swirling on the ground even if the absence of funnel is not present

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Dark clouds, especially ones that are tinted green (hail) or orange (dust)

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Flashes of blue or white in the distance around ground level suggest electrical wires being snapped in high winds

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Suddenly calm condition in the middle of a storm

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The most obvious sign is a strong rotation of a cloud at its base

If there is any change of a tornado, evacuate all customers, if safe. During a Tornado: 42

If there is enough warning time evacuate building and go to a safe shelter. The following step are for finding shelter in the store.

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Do not stand near any windows

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Put as many walls between you and the storm outside, preferably a safe room

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Do not stand next to anything that could be lifted or fall over

If there is a safe shelter in the store stay there until local authorities announce it is safe to leave.