Retail Sector
Brand Strategy
At the end of this session, retailers will be able to clearly define their target customer, their brand's positioning in their market and what defines their brand, to ensure their communication, product mix, and visuals are aligned and cohesive. Session topics include: •
Defining your target customer and how this person changed since the pandemic
Determining at least 3 problems + 3 solutions for each problem
Your competition and what makes you different
Current sales channels
Defining your brand style, design aesthetic and your brand’s 5 core values
The types of content that work best to highlight these values
How to ensure your employees share these same values
The impact of COVID-19 on your brand strategy moving forward
Financial Operations
At the end of this session, retailers will have a defined sales plan and be able to review their financials at a higher level in order to make daily, sales-driving strategic decisions. Session topics include:
Retail metrics to monitor daily
Reviewing sales reports and proactively predicting sales opportunities
Attributing products for more granular sales detail
Open-to-buy management (How to determine how much inventory to purchase)
Inventory management best practices
Building your financial plan
Supply Chain
At the end of this session, retailers will be able to begin developing their domestic supply chain and identify growth opportunities to pursue. Session topics include: • '
COVID’s impact on global supply chains
The importance of creating a domestic supply chain
Sourcing indie brands
Private labeling
Vendor relationships + diversification
Cost-saving negotiation techniques with vendors
Omnichannel Strategy
At the end of this session, retailers will be able to identify new sales channels to add to their business and how to enhance their customer experience. Session topics include:
Definition of Omnichannel
Pros and cons of e-commerce (although it's a non-negotiable)
Sales channels to explore (Adding services - Adding delivery methods)
Ways to engage with your customers
Marketing non-negotiables
Speakers
DeAnna McIntosh, Global Retail + E-commerce Consultant
McIntosh is a trend-setting, results-driven Retail Consultant with 14+ years of experience helping brands drive sales, conversion, productivity, innovation, and engagement. She is the Founder and Global Retail + E-commerce Consultant at The Affinity Group International, where she is actively moving the retail industry forward through strategically building and elevating the indie retail economy in both developed and emerging markets. Passionate about innovating the retail experience at all stages of business development, DeAnna collaborated with other Retail Consultants to launch the Retailing Evolved community for equipping indie brands and boutiques with growth strategies.
With a strong eye for design and years of corporate merchandising experience, she has launched numerous products into retail and e-commerce platforms - with one of the most notable being the Chico's No Iron Linen Collection, driving a $1M incremental sales increase, and now a multimillion-dollar program. DeAnna also curated the first ever "shop local" assortment initiative at Office Depot, merchandising 10+ local Austin, Texas brands inside the 13 area stores, including consumer favorites Epic Provisions and Chameleon Coffee.
Darlene Mitchell, Financial + Inventory Planning Consultant
Darlene Mitchell is a Financial and Inventory Strategist with 20+ years of executive leadership experience in Buying, Merchandise Planning and Allocation with some of America's most iconic brands - such as GAP, Chico's, Old Navy. At The Affinity Group International, Darlene empowers boutique owners to build and grow a profitable business through utilizing tools, strategic financial plans and inventory management that increase sales and maximize profit. She teaches the same inventory management strategies she utilized to drive record 50% sales dollar increases and 30% gross margin rate increases in her corporate retail roles. She uses a combination of traditional financial planning philosophy mixed with innovative tactics to deliver customized inventory plans and strategies for her clients' specific business needs. Darlene turns inventory overwhelm into sales, profit and cash - helping retailers stop leaving dollars on the table (and on their racks).