Amanda Spence

About Amanda Spence

As a Merchandise Director, I have a well-developed appreciation for aesthetic beauty and an excellent sense of space and function, which is directly related to my passion for product development and merchandising. In terms of my career experience, I've spent years running merchandising team efforts through buying, planning, product sourcing and designing for major home decor retailers through periods of significant growth. I perform best when positioned in a mentorship role that allows me to guide team members while working directly on merchandising activities. I love to get in the weeds to strategically tackle larger company challenges and produce transformational results. My combination of leadership skills, creative thinking and hands-on work ethic have led to massive profit margin increases, creating a win-win scenario for myself and my employer. Please feel free to contact me at m••••••••@gmail.com with any comments or questions about my work. I’m always interested in making new professional acquaintances and exploring new opportunities for growth.

Experience

1. Director - Lamps & Accessories

   Currey & Company

   Dec 2023 — Present · Atlanta, GA

2. Buyer

   Napa Home & Garden

   Jan 2019 — Dec 2023 · Duluth, Georgia, United States

   I joined Napa Home & Garden as the first hire for a newly created position at the company. The skills I developed over my long-term career in the Retail industry allow me apply those same learned growth strategies to a Wholesale business. • Responsible for buying and merchandising all concepts for the ongoing 3,000+ SKU assortment and all SKUs included in DTC business launch in early 2023 • Traveled internationally to develop and select products at factories located in India, China, Indonesia, Peru, Portugal, Italy, and Mexico • Assisted the VP of Design to merchandise a 15,000 sq. ft. showroom in Atlanta’s AmericasMart and a 5,000 sq. ft. showroom in Las Vegas’ World Market Center for two primary shows happening in January and July of each year • Acted as Stylist for all Napa photoshoots, including two catalog launches corresponding with the spring and summer trade shows; actively styled up to 700 images a year

3. Merchandising Director

   Domino Media Group

   2014 — 2015 · New York, NY

   As Merchandising Director, I pioneered a team of merchandisers while overseeing all buying, planning and product sourcing activities for the organization. A few of my contributions include: • Raised domino.com total customer count in Q4 2014 by 303% year-over-year through collaboration with company stakeholders to design and structure product and eCommerce webpages. • Established partnerships with 129 new vendors in Q4 2014 - totaling 47% of the domino.com vendor assortment - by implementing a profit-driven merchandising program designed to identify brand products and establish relationships with prospective vendors. • Increased order conversion rate by 550% from September to December 2014 and increased sales revenue by 148% between January 2014 to January 2015 by facilitating innovative merchandising programs.

4. Buyer

   Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

   2012 — 2013 · Brooklyn, NY

   My position as Buyer allowed me to work across multiple areas of West Elm and West Elm Market, broadening my experience with different products, merchandising channels and stakeholders. Notable contributions include: • Assisted in the promotion of one Merchandise Associate to Assistant Buyer by mentoring and managing a team of two Assistant Buyers and two Merchandise Associates. • Expanded the West Elm brand's garden collection by more than 1,000% year-over-year and led West Elm Market buying responsibilities related to all non-kitchen and tabletop product for both retail and direct channels. • Introduced over 70 American artists' products to the West Elm Market assortment by launching the West Elm Market retail concept featuring stand-alone stores across North America.

5. Buyer

   Terrain

   2008 — 2012 · Philadelphia, PA

   When a new brand - Terrain - was created by Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters, I handled the design, sourcing, production, buying, planning and merchandising responsibilities for Garden, Housewares, Furniture and Antique categories for the brand. In doing so, my contributions included: • Grew product divisions totaling $15M annually for two brick-and-mortar stores and the .com entity. • Increased employee training and morale by leading the development and coaching activities among Assistant Buyers and other merchandising positions. • Nourished existing factory relationships and grew new relationships with manufacturing partners across the world, including France, Germany, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and more. • Assisted in the growth of the new brand, Terrain, by collecting, analyzing and presenting critical information for the Managing Director of Terrain and Urban Outfitters CEO on a daily basis.

6. Assistant Buyer

   Terrain at Urban Outfitters. Inc.

   2007 — 2008 · Philadelphia, PA

   My work conducting secondary design, sourcing, production, buying, planning and merchandising activities led to my promotion to Buyer after approximately one year with the new brand. By recommending products and assortments to the Buyer, supporting daily operational functions within buying areas, managing merchandise flow and delivering products in a timely fashion, I proved myself as a reliable, proactive, integral member of the merchandising team.

7. Product Knowledge Coordinator

   Anthropologie

   2005 — 2007 · Philadelphia, PA

   As Product Knowledge Coordinator, I collaborated with numerous team members to identify and develop plans for stores' needs in terms of product information, communication and key business drivers. In doing so, I supplied critical store feedback to the Home Office while partnering with 24 District Product Communicators. This role allowed me to discover my place within a operational team and learn to identify opportunities to improve company outcomes.

8. Merchandise Associate

   Anthropologie

   2005 — 2006 · Philadelphia, PA

   Beginning my tenure at Anthropologie, this role taught me the importance of cross-functional relationships. I worked directly with market and internal partners on merchandising initiatives. Partners included the following: • Vendors • Distribution centers • Design • Production • Store operations • Visual • Accounts payable • Customs • Transportation

Education

• Colgate University

  Bachelors · Art History

  2000 — 2004

• Darien High School

  High School Diploma

  1996 — 2000

Skills

• Retail
• Relationship Management
• Concept Development
• Assortment
• Merchandise Planning
• Digital Content Development
• Negotiation
• Mentorship
• Trend Forecasting
• Public Relations
• Brand Development
• Set Design
• Sourcing
• Trend Analysis
• Price Negotiation
• Inventory Management
• Product Sourcing
• Sales
• Marketing
• Buying
• Entrepreneurship
• Financial Planning
• Business Strategy
• Product Development
• Prop Sourcing
• Merchandising
• Coaching
• Management
• Contract Negotiation
• Product Management
• Product Design
• E-commerce
• Global Sourcing
• Visual Merchandising