In this issue >>>
2015 Retail Summit & Retail Focus
‘Noles for Kohl’s
Intern Highlights
AATCC Visit & Target Case Study
Meet the Retail Center Interns
Spring 2015
Florida State Seminoles
Retailing & Product Development
2015 Retail Summit
Eddy
Elgarresta
“Retail… Millennials Matter!”
Leatrice
Eiseman
Christine
Woodward
We had three talented speakers provide insight, knowledge,
and advice for the RMPD students and faculty that crowded
the standing room only 2015 Retail Summit this year on
January 28th. Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of
Pantone, discussed how the consumer lifestyle patterns and
tastes consistently evolve, resulting in new harmonies of color
and design trends. Eddy Elgarresta, Senior Vice President of
Information Technology at Kohl’s, encouraged students to see
the big picture, find their passion and understand where retail
has been in order to learn from the successes and failures
throughout retail’s history. He delved into how Kohl’s plans to
reinvent the store experience by investing $1 billion dollars in
technology over the next three years. Mr. Elgarresta states
“customers are seeking a seamless experience.” Christine
Woodward, Digital Merchandising Manager for Belk, was the
final speaker of the 2015 Retail Summit. She explained why
Millennials matter to the retail industry and how the evolution
of technology has created endless opportunities for consumer
shopping experiences. Christine ended the Summit advising
students and faculty to “try everything” because every path
offers a different learning opportunity.
Ashley Lamb
RMPD Student
Retail Focus Panel
Featuring a variety of alumni with recruiting, managerial, and entrepreneurial experience, this
year’s Focus Panel offered insightful career advice to the retail and business students who
attended. Some of the most memorable tips included:
· “Be aware of people that aren’t the most positive and realize the differences between
Focus Panel
learning styles.” Dannon Monroe, City Furniture
· “You own your own development, demand more from your mentors.” Rachel Amy, Coton Colors
· “Expectations are different from what actually happens.” Andrew Ciccarone, Triple Graces
· “Don’t pigeonhole yourself and become comfortable putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.” Leah Stevens, Belk
· “Transitioning is a big surprise, have a mentor to lean on.” Kim Guerin, Office Depot
Thank you to Kim Williams, owner of The Polka Dot Press, for moderating the event!
Camilla Nelson
Retail Center Lead Intern
NRF’s Big Show
FSU students Jenny Herndon,
Rebecca Cunningham, and Jenna
Gorman at NRF’s Big Show
The NRF Big Show in NYC brings 33,000 retail
executives from across the world together to
learn about breakthrough retail technology.
FSU participated in the student program where
we heard from retail executives such as Mindy
Grossman, CEO of HSN, Karen Katz from
Neiman Marcus, and many more, speak about
their career paths and successes. As a 2015 Next
Generation Scholarship semi-finalist, I was
invited to the inaugural NRF Gala which
recognized ”The List of People Shaping Retail’s
Future” at a dinner reception with notable
speakers like Martha Stewart. The Big Show
was a great opportunity to network with top
retailers and further enhanced my passion for a
future in retail.
Jenna Gorman
Next Generation Scholarship Nominee
‘Noles for Kohl’s
On March 24th and 25th at the Kohl’s corporate headquarters in Menomonee
Falls, Wisconsin, the company hosted the inaugural Kohl’s Invitational, a
student business plan competition involving 12 invited
universities. Representing the RMPD program were Jenna Gorman, Ashley
Lamb, Maddie MacCorkle, and myself, who competed under the moniker
‘Noles for Kohl’s. Challenged to re-envision an in-store experience that
would garner the interest of millennial consumers, our team leveraged
coursework materials and research alongside an appointed Kohl’s
representative to create a 10-page business plan, a 90-second teaser video and
a PowerPoint presentation. The students were treated to a welcome dinner in
Milwaukee’s historic Third Ward before presenting their concept in front of
Kohl’s leadership the following morning. In addition to the competition, the
teams toured the corporate campus and enjoyed a networking session with
Kohl’s executives, including CEO Kevin Mansell. The event was a prime
example of the outstanding
opportunities available to
RMPD students through the
dedication of The Retail Center,
the RMPD program, and the
College of Human Sciences. A
special thanks to Kohl’s
University Relations, Regional
Vice President Roland Johnson,
and Senior Recruiter Ileana
Poole, as well as Ann Langston
and the entire RMPD
Department.
Terry Reading, Maddie MacCorkle, Kohl’s CEO
Terry Reading
Kevin Mansell, Jenna Gorman, and Ashley Lamb
Kohl’s Invitational Team Member
Intern Highlights
Amanda Boylan
UNIQLO
When I decided to intern with
UNIQLO, I did so in hopes of starting a
career in store management. I never
would have thought that I would enjoy
working in the store environment as
much as I do. Every day when I go into
work it’s different than the previous day
with new challenges and tasks to be
completed. Something that I really love
about UNIQLO is how much they
invest in their employees, they make
sure that the possibilities for you are
endless if you put in the effort. Moving
to Boston was extremely intimidating,
but my team has made the transition
easier and has contributed to my
d e v e l o p m en t a s a U N IQ L O
Management Candidate. Because of this
opportunity I’ve gone from being a
fashion student to working in the
industry and finally having the chance to
apply the knowledge I’ve obtained from
FSU. I can’t wait to see where
UNIQLO’s program will take me!
Katherine Tally
Coach
Interning at Coach with the Fabric and Leather Team in NYC
has been a rewarding and educational experience. In my short
time here, I’ve learned that each team offers unique tasks and
projects. Both teams are on the same floor, so I alternate every
few days between the two departments. On "Fabric Days", I
organize swatches and yardage for both current and previous
projects. I also have had the opportunity to sit in on planning
meetings, and work with upper management. On "Leather
Days", I catalog new deliveries and cut swatches from full or
half-sized hides, along with
goat, sheep, and lamb skins and
their shearling. It’s like
Christmas every day; each day
brings new challenges! I also
help ship outgoing international
packages and get to sit in on
leather meetings, which are
much less formal than fabric
meetings, but not of any less
value!
Madison Crane & Daniela Ruch
Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH
Our internship with Saks OFF
5TH has been a great learning
experience. We have gotten to
rotate between the buying and
the planning teams for the Men’s
Sportswear and Women’s Shoes
departments. Our supervisors
have given us helpful learning
experiences, whether it’s working
with the planners to allocate and
see the thinking behind their
decisions, or attending market
appointments with the buyers.
Our supervisors shy away from
giving us clerical work, and are
continuously searching for ways to expand our knowledge and
learn a new part of the trade. Often times our planner will ask
us to look into product performance, or to research and
propose a new brand, or to even help them decide whether to
rush a reorder or delay. Overall, this has proven to be a very
valuable experience in our education and we are grateful for
the opportunity to see and take part in the merchandising role.
Jennifer Herndon
Dillard's
Interning with Dillard’s in their executive store management
program has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve
had so far. I work alongside managers learning how to
motivate sales associates, merchandise
the store to suit the customer, analyze
data, conduct interviews, and plan store
events. We float around each of the
departments and work with different sales
managers so that we have a general
understanding of how the departments
function to serve the entire store. My
favorite part about store management is
being able to lead, coach, and see results.
I love to work with people and I think it
is fun being able to motivate the
associates in a positive way – through
competitions and incentives. I know that
the experiences I have had at Dillard’s
and the lessons that I have learned as a
manager in training are invaluable and
will stick with me throughout my career.
AATCC Visit
This semester, we had the privilege of hosting a Membership Services Representative from the
American Association of Textiles, Chemists and Colorists headquarters. The representative,
Manisha Patel, reached out to Dr. Kay Grise and the president of FSU’s AATCC chapter,
Ashley Lamb, to coordinate her first visit to FSU. While on campus, Manisha taught RMPD
students about AATCC and how it continues to evolve to meet the needs of those in the everchanging textile and materials industries. Manisha spoke to the student chapter about where
other chapters are located around the world and how they’re impacting their local
communities.
Ashley Lamb
AATCC Student Chapter President
Manisha Patel, AATCC Rep
Target Case Study
We were presented with the opportunity to participate in Target’s case study. The
challenge was to create a strategy to increase profitability within an apparel division.
Our team consisted of Ariel Elizer, Kendall Stamey, Kayla Maidens and myself. We
chose to take on the challenge of the newborn, infant and toddler division within
Target stores. Inspired by the prevalence of technology in today’s society, our group
birthed Bity by Target. Bity would be a section within Target’s shopping app,
Cartwheel, in which shoppers can accumulate points based on their purchases within
the newborn, infant and toddler division and be rewarded with coupons! There were
a total of 16 teams competing to win one of three team prizes, and with hard work
and collaboration our team reigned supreme and placed first!
Tate Zigerman
Winning Team Member
Winning team with Target members
THANK
YOU
TO OUR
SPONSORS:
Meet the
Retail Center Interns
A long line of consecutive head and assistant interns help Ann
Langston carry out the Retail Center events. Sarah Morris has
just finished her two years working for the Retail Center and is
now completing her internship block with Kleinfeld Bridal.
After graduation, Sarah will spend
the summer as a buying intern at
Steinmart. We wish her the best!
Camilla Nelson, now the lead
intern, will be mentoring our new
assistant intern, Erin Kahle.
Through your financial
contributions, we can continue to
support these hard working
interns.
Camilla Nelson
Retail Center Lead Intern
Camilla Nelson & Sarah Morris
Follow Us:
save the dates >>>
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Tentatively August 6th
August 24th
September 16th
September 17th
September 17th
October 17th
November 25th-27th
December 4th
December 11th-12th
January 27th, 2016
Retail Roundtable
Classes begin
The 21st Annual Scholarship Dinner
Seminole Futures Career Fair
Peer Experience Panel
CHS Gathering on the Lawn
Thanksgiving Holiday
Last Day of Classes
Fall Commencement
Retail Summit
We wish Dr. Kay Grise and Dr. Judy Miler a prosperous and
happy retirement after 28 years and 8 years respectively of
educating our students.
@FSURetailCenter
/FloridaStateUniversityRetailCenter
For more information: Ann Langston, Director
[email protected]  850.644.3236  chs.fsu.edu/The-Retail-Center