Amahle by Chantelle Wood

Amahle 2016 Business Plan Chantelle Wood

Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Marketing Objectives 3

Business Environment 5 Geographic Analysis 8 Market Features 9 Competitive Analysis 10

Values and Lifestyles 12 PRIZMs 14

Marketing Strategy â&#x20AC;&#x2039;16 International Location 20

Organization 22 Training 24

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 tourists 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 tourists 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

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 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) Increase net profits via supply chain cost reduction ●

Lower cost of supply chain by having great communication with vendors

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Monitor shoplifting and employee theft closely with video feed

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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

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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 ●

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 ●

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 ●

Improve online presents with partner links and an active social media

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

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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

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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

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Update frequently

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Engage the online community with content marketing

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Offer online only promotions

Business Environment 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. 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 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 Market 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 grow in recent years, with an estimated 186 sailings and 429,413 passengers expected in 2011. 1 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.

http://www.seattle.gov/oir/datasheet/tourism.htm 6

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.2

http://contextchina.com/2013/04/visitors-from-china-take-top-spot-in-growing-seattle-tourism/

Geographic Analysis It is important to include the geographic information of the area as it can affect foot traffic to our location, especially as Pike Place Market is part open air.

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.3 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. The most popular days are during the Summer and foot traffic is increased for both local and tourist when days are sunny or brightly overcast. Though the market is part uncover attendance is low on days with rain or low temperatures4 .

3 4

http://www.seattle.gov/html/visitor/location.htm http://www.pps.org/pdf/pike_place_economic_impact_study.pdf 8

Market Features This section covers the pros and cons of the area and why Amahle would fit in this particular market location.

Attractive Market Features ●

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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 ● ●

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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. 5 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 ●

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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 stores 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 finding 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 9

Competitive Analysis Here is an overview of the different competitor, both primary and secondary, at our location as well as a SWOT analysis

Primary Competitors

Cost Plus World Market Location: 2103 Western Ave, Seattle WA Description: Sells products from around the world ranging from jewelry, mugs to food. Decent sized

store with many types of products. Friendly atmosphere with medium priced items. Products: Pillows, chairs, cards, art, hats, shirts, accessories, cooking ware, and food. Reason for Competition: Has the same concept of selling items from all around the world. Sells a small selection of clothing items and jewelry. Price range similar to Amahle.

Afghani Crafts6 Location: 1501 Pike St, Seattle WA Description: I mported clothing from Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. Handmade Afghani Lapis jewelry. Many different kind of scarves and hats, all made of natural fiber. Small sized store. Not open on Wednesdays. Products: Women's clothing, jewelry, scarves, hats, and gloves. Reason for Competition: Like Amahle, it sell items made from the middle east that follow the trend of natural fibers. Also located very close to our location.

Hands of the World 7 Location: 1501 Pike Pl, Seattle WA Description: H ere there is hand selected, exotic folk art, jewelry and accessories from around the world. They pick as much crafts as possible through cooperatives, development projects, and directly from the craftspeople. Products: Jewelry, gifts, gloves, stuffed animals, statues, scarfs, art and wall furnishings. Reason for Competition: They really push the ethical awareness and have just about everything from home furnishings to accessories to wear. They too buy all their merchandise from over sea and across the 6 7

http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/shopping http://www.handsoftheworld.com/pageHome 10

globe.

Indirect Competition Pike Place Fish Indirectly, Pike Place Fish is one of our competitor because of how close they are to us and their reputation. They are located on the floor above us and are known for throwing the fish and always attract a lot of spectators and buyers. They are also in a similar price point as us and a customer could spend the same amount there as in our store.

Composite SWOTs Below is a list charting the strengths,weakness,opportunities and threats of our competitors at the Pike Place Market. It shows how the competitors of the area compare to one another and how Amahle compares. Our major competitors in the area are Cost Plus World Market, Afghani Crafts, and Hands of the World.

Strengths Competitors: ● Sells merchandise from around the world ● Decorates in world themes ● Always lots of merchandise on the floor Amahle: ● Sells clothing items as well as accessories from around the world ● Painted walls and art deco to give store a travel feel ● Just the right amount of items on the floor as to not clutter the store

Opportunities

Weakness Competitors: ● Can feel over crowded due to amount of items ● Only plays music from around the globe ● Very few made in America products Amahle: ● Not enough merchandise on the floor can look sparse ● Playlist may have too much variety for some ● Mostly sells items made from other countries

Threats

Competitors: ● Located in an iconic part of Seattle ● Popular place for tourist to shop8 ● Removal of Alaskan Viaduct9

Competitors: ● Washington min. wage might go up10 ● Seattle is the 4th highest most congested roads11

Amahle: ● Located in an iconic part of Seattle ● High traffic area for tourist ● Removal of Alaskan Viaduct

Amahle: ● Washington min. wage might go up ● Seattle is the 4th highest most congested roads

http://tunnellingjournal.com/news/big-bertha-arrives-in-seattle/p://www.seattle.gov/audit/report_files/9910-PikePlace Mkt_PDA.pdf 9 http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/Viaduct/ 10 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/23/raise-minimum-wage_n_4493673.html 11 http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/11/traffic-congestion-seattle-stays-no-4/ 11

Values and Lifestyles (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.

Strivers 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.12 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. 12

http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/about.shtml 12

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 Digerati 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.13

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 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.

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

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Why do our customer need to buy our products? This fundamental question directly ties in with the Maslow’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 everyone.

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

Jackets

$40-$100

Skirts

$30-$60 16

Accessories 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 accept14: ● ● ● ● ● ●

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

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

http://www.investopedia.com/articles/forex/11/popular-currencies-and-why-theyre-traded.asp 17

Place Amahle’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 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."15

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.16 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.17 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 15

http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/preservation/pikeplace.htm http://www.seattle.gov/tour/historicdistricts/market/ 17 http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/history 16

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.18 30% of user on Twitter are 18-29 and and 87% of people who use Pinterest are female.19 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.

18 19

http://istrategylabs.com/2014/01/3-million-teens-leave-facebook-in-3-years-the-2014-facebook-demographic-report/ http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Twitter-Use-Rises-Across-US-Age-Groups/1010119 19

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 market20 . 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 advertising 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 20

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

Weakness

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

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

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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

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

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Organization Provided below is the organizational structure of Amahles employees, listing the descriptions and duties of each position.

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 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 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

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.