bhavana.jpg

Bhavana Raheja

A self-managed and result-oriented individual with over 9 years of work experience in the fashion retail and luxury industry across functional areas of e-commerce, buying, merchandise planning, marketing and retail operations .

    

[email protected]
(917) 900-8054
New York, NY, USA

Profile


Fashion

Hands on experience in entire life cycle of product - trend forecasting, assortment planning, production, buying, merchandising & sales. Managed menswear, womenswear & accessories divisions for both lifestyle and luxury brands


Retail

Managing over 15 stores country wide, I have successfully implemented strategic and business operations processes that lead to improved performance, productivity and profitability



E-Commerce

Developed broad framework and business plan for E-commerce sites - worked closely with management on devising online strategy, web designers on effective design & branding, IT on functionality and backend

Experience

E-Commerce Planner | UNIQLO                                                            April 2017 - Present   New York, US

  • Create department and class pre-season sales, GM, and inventory plans for e-commerce that align to company budget targets and overall Uniqlo USA strategy 
  • Forecast in-season financial metrics and inventories on a weekly/monthly/quarterly basis and recap and analyze actual key financial metrics as it results to plan and LY and present periodically to management and team
  • Rationalize top line buy strategy and create allocation/replenishment plan for the online that supports sales forecast, margin, receipt flows, end-of-life-strategies and future orders along with managing open-to-buy(OTB)
  • Perform and present detailed analysis on collaboration & new launches and synthesize qualitative and quantitative findings on merchandising/inventory wins and missed opportunities for each, along with an action plan for the future
  • Identify potential inventory liabilities and take action to maintain inventory targets, weeks on hand and make proposals on markdowns, promotions and transfers to stores
  • Work closely with site and digital marketing teams and provide valuable inputs on marketing strategy based on buy
  • Ensuring enhanced customer experience on site by reducing missing SKU% online & optimizing size/color ratio by partnering with allocations/replenishment teams
  • Liaison with the logistics department/distribution centre on controlling inbound/outbound budgets and costs

Account Executive & Product Development - Handbags|TADASHI SHOJI       Sept 2016 –Mar 2017  New York, US

  • Developed and launched the domestic and international merchandising strategy for the new leather handbag line based on trends, competitor analysis and market opportunities 
  • Created and developed assortment plans that enable the creation of core and fashion offering with the right blend of key categories, styles, pricing and aesthetic based on the target customer 
  • Managed negotiations and approvals related to merchandising, sourcing and production of handbags
  • Established strategic partnerships with prominent retailers including department and specialty stores 

Associate Buyer | HOLT RENFREW                                                                        Feb 2015 -May 2016       Toronto, Canada

  • Contributed to the YoY sales increase of 37% and gross margin increase of 18% for the womenswear off priced division 
  • Tracked and analyzed merchandise sales, sell through, seasonal brand performance & OTB for weekly/monthly reporting for senior management 
  • Prepared forecasted receipts in a synthesized manner to draw quantitative and qualitative implications on sales and recommended replenishment, inventory flow as well identified slow sellers 
  • Attended market appointments and selected assortment (depth, range, size and quantity) based on past sales trend analysis as well as prepared orders, pricing and allocations of merchandise 
  • Supported the buying department in driving overall performance of the womenswear department and proposed ways to react to business needs by monitoring factors like markdowns, sales growth& gross margin that impact profitability
(Canadian chain of department stores specializing in an array of luxury brands, part of Selfridge's group)

Business Head |BADASSAB GROUP                                                                             July 2012 –Jan 2014

Mumbai, India

  • Responsible for growing sales of the bespoke and corporate attire divisions by an average of 27%in first 2 quarters
  • Managed marketing, sales& retail operations for franchised Italian brands –Brioni & Narancamicie for India resulting in 4% & 13% growth in seasonal-to-date sales over previous year for the brands respectively 
  • Conceptualized, designed and implemented the launch of the brand’s fashion and lifestyle e-commerce brand –‘Koecsh’ 
  • Reduced operational expenses of the corporate attire division by 16% over 8 months through better negotiations and improved inventory management
  • Liaised with and managed key accounts like the Oberoi, Sofitel, The Westin & JW Marriott for corporate attire
(Lifestyle E-commerce | Franchisee of Brioni & Naracamicie | Corporate Attire|Luxury MTM menswear brand)

Head - Extensions & Merchandising|HIDESIGN                                                Sept 2011 – Jun 2012

Pondicherry, India

  • Developed and implemented an integrated Omni-channel marketing communication strategy by means of events, co-branding associations, product placements, PR & advertising
  • Planned and successfully launched the luxury brand extension ‘Alberto Ciaschini’, which included sourcing materials, designing collaterals, overseeing production as well as planning the marketing and wholesale strategy
  • Developed a new line of sunglasses which entailed building an assortment, vendor selection, product & package design
  • Collaborated with different functional departments to engineer an effective logistics &supply chain system, assigning responsibilities, time and quality standards as well as effective communication mechanisms for enhanced performance
(India’s largest and oldest leather handbags & accessories brand )

Head-Marketing & Retail Operations|KIMAYA                                                      Sept 2008 -Aug 2011

Mumbai,India
  • Developed and implemented an integrated Omni-channel marketing communication strategy by means of events, co-branding associations, product placements, PR & advertising
  • Managed & monitored the retail operations of 15 stores across the country aimed at driving revenue growth by managing sales, overseeing retail execution & operations and maintaining key brand/designer relationships
  • Supervised and supported the district managers in achieving KPI's including sales, payroll budget, UPT &conversion through analyzing business metrics on a weekly and monthly basis
  • Conducted regular store visits to ensure brand standards are maintained, merchandising expectations are being achieved and sales growth actions plans are developed and followed 
  • Drafted initial plan & designed operational flows of Kimaya’s e-commerce website which included choosing technical partner &collaborating with payment and logistics companies 

(India’s first and most coveted multi-designer luxury chain of stores))

Education


  • Business Analytics - ECommerce|Harvard Business School (HBX) - Online course                                                          Jun 2018-Sept 2018
  • Omni Chanel Buying and Merchandising |Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) –New York                                       June 2016 –Aug 2016
  • Post-graduate in International Fashion Development & Mangt.|George Brown College, Toronto – Canada           Sept 2014–Aug2015 
  • Master’s RSP in Fashion Marketing Management|Istituto Europeo Di Design, Milan –Italy                                           Nov 2006–Oct2007
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management | Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain College                                                              Jun 2003-Mar 2006

Skills


  • Language –Excellent oral and written communication skills(Proficient in English, Intermediate in Italian and Beginner in French)
  • Computer/Technical–Microsoft Office, Demandware, AS400, Microstrategy ,Mi9,GXS Catalogue, Business Manager, IMS
  • Certification - Google Analytics : Advanced Analytics & E-commerce Analytics: From Data to Decisions