Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing

Buyer and Founder

• Support 12 East Asia factories for large US-based retailers with product development for category and seasonal resets via market research, retailer and factory correspondence, purchase order management, and pricing negotiations
• Oversee and grow e-commerce operations for various clients, including Amazon store set-up and management, product assortment creation and refinement, and supply chain coordination
Key Business Accomplishments:
• Manage Michaels Stores account for key client comprised of $3.5M+ purchases of private label products
• Increased key client Amazon sales figures in 2020 by over 100% via optimal product assortment selection, competitive pricing structure, and minimizing associated operational overhead costs

Feb 2020
• Established private-label stationery and office brand, The Daily Paper(TM), from inception including selecting brand name, devising brand mission, overseeing logo creation, determining target customers, and identifying competitors
• Created a cohesive brand aesthetic, including color palettes, brand voice, key product attributes and style
• Built e-commerce website, Amazon store, social media sites and all corresponding content
• Managed marketing planning and execution, including social media strategy and Amazon advertising campaigns
• Supervised entire product development process, including item and spec research, product and packaging artwork, pre-production and production sample review for line introduction of 30 SKUs, initial launch
Key Business Accomplishments:
• Achieved $640K in revenue from Aug 2019-Dec 2019 for e-commerce business, comprised of two brands
• Delivered over 50% sell-through for The Daily Paper(TM) product from Sept 2019-Jan 2020
• Realized 100% sales increase in January 2020 from total Q4 2019 revenue

Manager, Product Development

Dec 2016
• Oversaw on-air product assortment for 6 live hours of television for shopping network launched in USA
• Devised monthly and annual forecast based on revenue and margin budget through management of weekly product promotions, effective vendor rotation, and optimal craft category mix for existing and new customers
• Coordinated and executed inventory liquidation for existing stock in warehouses in US and UK via web campaigns, vendor returns, vendor price reduction negotiations, and on-air promotions
• Increased revenue sales for company by over 70% from 2015 to 2016 and grew vendor base to 60+ brands

Buying Manager

• Supervised team of 5 buyers, 4 assistants, and 3 product development designers for Department of 8,500+ SKUs, producing approximately $185M in revenue per year
• Oversaw product development process for 1,500+ new items annually
• Analyzed sales data to determine product strengths and weaknesses and adjusted allocations based on rising trends
Key Business Accomplishments:
• Increased comp sales from -3.1% (2013) to +2.64% (YTD 2014) and -0.3% (2013) to +9.2% (YTD 2014)
• Grew department margin from 76% to 77% from 2013 to 2014
• Maximized space allotment based on trends, increasing department-wide sales, with popular products rising 50%

Merchandise Manager, Papercraft Department

• Managed 2,600+ SKUs for over 550 stores, producing approximately $47M in revenue per year
• Maintained appropriate inventory levels for buyer categories through weekly review and ordering processes to uphold an overstock level of less than 7% and an average fill rate of over 92%
• Developed trend and product knowledge through analysis of consumer and trade publications, major U.S., China, and Hong Kong trade show attendance, competitive shopping, and scrapbooking website
• Sourced over 2,000 items under the department house brand, resulting in margin savings of an average of 23+%

Nicole Arrington: Buyer and Founder

Nicole Arrington

Arrington Partners, LLC

Zeal Concept, Inc

Craft Retail International

Hobby Lobby Stores

Hobby Lobby Stores

Emporium Armani Jewelry and Fossil Jewelry, Fossil, Inc

Michaels Stores, Inc

University of Oklahoma