Week four as an Assistant Buyer for Ross Stores

From my last post, I have started training as a merchant intern for Ross Buying Office working 40 hours a week.  I am overwhelmed with happiness as I finished my first week of  adventures. My first day of orientation consisted of a brief overview to the career path at the buying office, the value of off-price retailing, and inspiring words from the President and CMO, Barbara Rentler, and CEO and Vice President, Michael Balmuth.

I am interning in the Home Functional Ceramics business where I am learning the trends, best sellers, and price points that the Ross customer values. As an intern, I have my own desk and computer, where I am able to access my own email account and Ross’ computer programs. These past few weeks I experienced a variety of responsibilities and duties of an Assistant Buyer. I have learned all the reports that a buyer looks at from daily, weekly, to monthly. Maintaining knowledge and updating these reports are crucial to my business. I have been fortunate enough to attend and observe negotiations at over  over 10 vendor meetings as well as experience two kosher meals (“comped”  by Ross!). Ross has also provided the interns with weekly training classes on important business aspects such as off-price philosophy, negotiation skills, comparison shopping, retail mathematics and weekly processes, and key components to becoming a successful buyer.

Starting week four tomorrow, I am very surprised at how hands-on my internship is and the fact that my buyer respects my opinion. In my spare time, I have gone to Long Beach twice, celebrated my 22nd, learned to dodge tourists, and enjoyed happy hours with fellow co-workers (corporate America style).

Hope everyone is having a great summer, can’t believe it is already July!

Best,

Chelsea Fischer

First 3 Weeks at Club Monaco in NYC

The past three weeks I have been spending my summer in NYC interning with the Visual team at Club Monaco.  My internship consists of concepting each month’s new clothing line in the corporate showroom (this week we worked with the February 2011 collection) and  also flipping flagship stores every three weeks.  During “flip” we create the visual atmosphere with each month’s collection in two Club Monaco stores that is then signed off by the corporate merchants and finally the CEO, John Mehas.  I have been involved with the process once already and will be doing it for the second time next week for the brand new July collection.  I was not expecting as much manual labor as I participate in but now fully appreciate the essence of wonderful NY windows and stores and their over-the-top visual techniques.

In my personal life, I have already met with the CEO of Collective Brands, Matt Rubel, spent a day at Long Beach, agreed to participate in market week for Avon cosmetics with the PR department and spent multiple nights out on the town with my fellow UA interns and students!