As a Footwear Buyer I deal with a variety of people everyday and dealing with people effectively is crucial to success. Not only do I need to manage my relationships at the office, I also need to effectively manage my relationships with my vendors. No one role is more important than the other and most times ego can get in the way of furthering a working relationship. I’ve heard horror stories of “buyers” that act like royalty and make unrealistic demands of their vendors and it’s very one-sided. This isn’t the type of relationship that lasts and it can be detrimental to your reputation. My relationship between me and my vendors are of the outmost importance and it’s the most significant factor in whether I accomplish my goals and become … more …

Local Vancouver stylist, Cleo Schroeder packed up her bags and made her way to the Big Apple. After graduating from Parson’s, she launched her own fashion label, “Primary New York”. Super impressed with her work, I knew I had to feature her as this months “Industry Insider”. I’ve attached a few images of my favourite looks from her Spring/Summer 2011 collection and I hope you end up liking her work as much as I do.

Where did the name “Primary” come from?: My concept for the brand is to create modern essentials. We show a tightly edited capsule-like collection each season that are inter-changeable, multi-functional and in many cases convertible.  We want to be that primary piece in your wardrobe that is your go-to.  I also like the childlike nostalgia of the … more …

Who moved my shoe? Yes, this is a spin-off title of one of the most famous books on “work change”, called “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson. Just months ago, my company acquired a new CEO and with new leadership comes a lot of CHANGE. The company has gone through a massive organizational re-structure and is in the process of a business strategy and re-branding transformation. It’s been an incredible journey thus far and I’ve learned so much about myself and my colleagues in the process. It’s been quite the learning curve for everyone in the organization. We all deal with change differently and it’s important to recognize this. I’ve been through some changes in companies before, however I would have to say this has been my biggest challenge … more …

Job Title:

Merchandise Analyst, Shoe Warehouse

Merchandise Analyst, Freedmans

Merchandise Analyst, Sterling/ Joneve

Job Summary:

Sterling Shoes has three exciting opportunities in the role of Merchandise Analyst, one for each banner (Shoe Warehouse, Freedman, and Sterling/ Joneve). These are fulltime permanent roles that will be responsible for working directly with our Senior Merchandisers in analyzing and developing various reports and graphs in relation to allocating and replenishing stores. This role will also work closely with our buyers to ensure the right product is being allocated, replenished and marked down at each store. The core accountabilities and position title for this role may change as the position evolves.

Core Accountabilities:

• Initial allocation of product

• Analysis of weekly sales and inventory turnover by store

• Replenishment by store

• Generate vendor analysis reports and make recommendations to the buyers based on this report

• Generate

… more …

I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Malania Dela Cruz, Director of Dela Cruz PR. Since I have always had an interest in the world of Public Relations, I thought she’d be the perfect person to answer all my questions.

How do you get paid? (What do you do for a living?): I get fashion, entertainment, design and lifestyle brands on your TV, in your magazines, in your news and in your face!

Describe your industry. What are some of the challenges and rewards?: The PR industry is a fun and fast-paced creative environment. The PR world is ever changing, especially in the face of new technologies and social media marketing. This is one of the biggest challenges I think PR professionals are facing right now, how to incorporate these new … more …