Poonam Rao
Mumbai
Summary
Retail professional with over 12 years of experience in apparel category management, sales, marketing, and strategic alliances, with proven expertise in managing brand relationships and delighting customers with the right product selection while maximizing sales, profitability, and cash flow.
Reliable Manager demonstrating high level of ownership and initiative. Successful in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments to manage goals and team developments.
Results-driven Manager known for high productivity and efficient task completion.
Specialize in strategic planning, team leadership, and operational improvement.
Excel in communication, problem-solving, and adaptability, ensuring seamless project execution and team cohesion.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
ONLY RETAIL PRIVATE LTD. – B&M Manager
BESTSELLER India Pvt. Ltd.
Mumbai
09.2023 - Current
- Managed Only brand portfolio worth ₹429 Cr at Bestseller, capturing 53% of business share across EBO, and MBF channels.
- Directed buying and merchandising strategy for 72 exclusive brand outlets and 40 franchise stores for the ONLY brand.
- Led seasonal range planning, option plans, and assortment strategies aligned with the brand vision and regional market trends.
- Managed inventory planning, pricing, and intake margins to drive top-line growth and bottom-line profitability.
- Collaborated with the Design, Sales, Marketing, VM, and Sourcing teams to ensure timely seasonal launches and campaign execution.
- Delivered a strong November closure, achieving +10% vs. LY in EBO, and +37% vs. LY in MBF through focused assortment and replenishment strategies.
Merchandiser: Ladies Western Wear Category
SHOPPERS STOP LTD
06.2019 - 09.2023
- Under Ladies Portfolio of 480 Cr. handling 212 Cr business with 12+Vendor, 98+ Department Store.
- Top performing brands in the category AND (20% LTL), Bestseller Brands - Only(33% LTL) & Vero Moda (29% LTL) Forever New(90% LTL) VS Category 3% LTL growth YTD.
- Successfully launched new brands Kazo & Rareism adding differentiation in offering in the category.
- Responsible for sales & margin target as per Annual Business Plan for major of Casual brands which contributes to 70% of Branded Women Western Wear Business.
- Successfully did Celebrity Led Campaign & 360-degree seasonal 'Dress Fest' with Faballey was successful in convincing brand for Main sponsorship of 25Lakhs for the fest in stores which led Overall growth of 30% in the dress category.
- Worked with cross functional team to establish various processes within Category Management.
- Define category roadmap and Develop and execute short term and long term growth strategy.
- Formulating plans for high growth trajectory and Inventory hygiene for casual brands Women's western wear business.
- Worked on assortment plan, planning right mix, identifying gaps, and working closely with Labels to create lines as per demand.
- Responsible for effective stock planning and management (Freshness, Day’s cover, Sell thru, Replenishments, Top Seller availability, and liquidation of non-moving stock and aged merchandise.
- Closely monitoring Sales Metrics and taking corrective actions & build the right assortment mix for the Category.
- Timely identification and liquidation of non – moving/slow moving stocks in order to optimize stock inventory levels.
- Oversight of Buying, Sales, Inventories, Marketing & Promotion, Omni channel business, Space & Margin Productivity.
- Strengthened the Omni channel business with active business development and working with ecom team to drive business growth in the category.
- Undertaking market trend analysis to understand the current competitiveness of the products.
Sr Merchandising Manager
KUDOS GIFTING
Mumbai
06.2015 - 02.2018
- Key Account Management and Relationship Management to enhance the existing business.
- Monitoring the suppliers to ensure that products are made to the required specifications, quality standards, and compliance.
- Attention to detail on new and interesting product trends in the gifting and promotional product space.
- Always on the lookout for new vendors to expand the product sourcing base to include new, interesting trends from time to time.
- Managing sourcing, product development, product design, and price negotiation for all corporate gifting requirements for our clients/customers.
- Having strong project management skills and a detail-oriented mindset to ensure that timely production and delivery schedules are met.
Education
BDS & BAMS
Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy Hospital
Bachelor of Commerce -
Mumbai
MBA - Retail Management
Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies
MumbaiSkills
- Buying strategy development
- Merchandise planning and optimization
- Trend forecasting and analysis
- Assortment architecture
- Vendor negotiation and management
- Inventory management
- Category P&L oversight
- Sell-through acceleration
- Product lifecycle management
- Team leadership and collaboration
Notable Accomplishments
Shoppers Stop, Rewarded for Best Resource in the LWW Category for consecutive 3 quarters.
Timeline
ONLY RETAIL PRIVATE LTD. – B&M Manager
BESTSELLER India Pvt. Ltd.
09.2023 - Current
Merchandiser: Ladies Western Wear Category
SHOPPERS STOP LTD
06.2019 - 09.2023
Sr Merchandising Manager
KUDOS GIFTING
06.2015 - 02.2018
BDS & BAMS
Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy Hospital
Bachelor of Commerce -
Mumbai
MBA - Retail Management
Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies