“An experienced fashion industry expert with over 20 years buying experience in luxury women's wear.”
Online or offline, fashion women's wear buying consultancy
My name is Melanie Smallwood. I am an experienced fashion buying consultant and a women's wear specialist. I am a professional with a strong commercial focus and have worked for a number of luxury fashion retailers both in senior management roles and buying roles and have successfully managed large turnover retail divisions in women's wear also.
Most recently I have been leading the Fashion category for a global online marketplace business with a user base of over 19 million a month and turnover in excess of $500m.
My experience and skill set covers both offline and online and I have worked in both UK and Internationally.
I have successfully negotiated with and introduced new brands into new markets and have established relationships with a number of international and domestic brands. I have also worked in an advisory capacity with the British Fashion Council and eBay mentoring new designers through a digital sponsorship initiative that I set up with the PR department last year. More about
What can I do for you?
- Brand Strategy: I have established relationships with a number of the key brands internationally and can actively source and negotiate the introduction of new and established brands for your business. I can work with you to define the brand strategy and target customer and ensure that the brand and product offer is focused towards the target customer. Devising seasonal and long term product strategy for the business identifying opportunities to develop exclusive capsule/product ranges with key brands to drive PR and marketing opportunities.
More.
- Competitor assessment and bench marking in terms of brands, ecommerce offer, service, store/product presentation. More.
- Buying department support: Assisting with new department/new business set up for buying and merchandising teams/creating clear business structures. Delivering KPI's, defining clear processes and establishing new reporting tools/templates requirements.
- Open to Buy planning and financial forecasting for the buying division. Sales and profit analysis at brand, category and option.
- Analysing in season sales and providing solutions to maximise sales and profit.
Retail Consultancy
- Analysis across key categories and recommendations on new category/brand/product opportunities.
- Competitor assessment and bench marking in terms of brands, ecommerce offer, service, store/product presentation. .
- Define the brand strategy and target customer and ensure that the brand and product offer is aligned.
- See Brands I have worked with
