Purchasing Agent  

~Wine & Spirits Specialist~

 

Offering numerous years of experience in Wine and Spirits industry, from purchasing and inventory control to sales and operations, as well as strong prior background in retail Corporate and Regional buying for as many as 800 stores

Certificate from Sommelier Institute/Sommelier Executive Council-New Jersey Chapter

Proficient in conducting thorough pricing, sales, competitor, market, and consumer trend analyses

Well-versed in all areas of procurement, from vendor and item selection, pricing and purchase orders to order tracking, inventory management and quality control; adept in maintaining optimal stock levels while controlling inventory costs

Dynamic communication, negotiation and relationship building skills; expertise in collaborating with cross-functional departments and Corporate headquarters to define and attain performance goals

Excel in prioritizing, planning, organizing, and facilitating projects/workflow to increase productivity and efficiency in fast-paced, time-sensitive environments

 

Ø  Strategically revamped liquors and wine product line to expand revenue streams and build broad inventory of wine, liquor and beer as well as specialty items

Ø  Have boosted sales volume 55% and client count 35% since taking ownership of store in a highly competitive and logistically challenging downtown Rutherford historic district

Ø  Successfully managed 2.5K-item, $60M annual revenue line as Category Manager for major retail chain

Ø  As Corporate Buyer responsible for 800 stores, consistently achieved Top Service Level out of 4 company buyers

Ø  Maintained 96%-98% Service Level for 140 stores as Regional Grocery Buyer

Station Liquors and Wine Boutique-Rutherford, NJ                                                   2002-Present
Owner

Capitalized on opportunity to assume full ownership of a small wine and spirits shop, with accountability for all areas of operation including procurement, inventory control, sales, marketing, and administrative/financial management; strategically reworked product line to boost sales and traffic, including complementary specialty items as well as lottery services

 

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Professional Experience Continued

 

Total Wines and More-West Orange, NJ                                                                   2001-2002
Wine Associate

Took advantage of well-known wines and spirits superstore sales training and product knowledge program to build industry expertise

 

The Grand Union Company-Waterford, NY/Wayne, NJ                                           1986-2001
Health and Beauty Care Category Manager-Wayne, NJ; 2000-2001

Held full accountability for beauty care line of 2.5K items generating $60M annual sales for $2B retail grocer; instrumental decision maker in optimizing new item selection, vendor negotiations, contracting, and advertising

Health and Beauty Care Corporate Buyer-Wayne, NJ; 1993-2000

Promoted to serve as Purchasing Agent for 800 stores in support of Grand Union/Penn Traffic merger; solidly increased product turns and profit margin and actively collaborated with cross-functional departments including warehouse, advertising and accounting to achieve company objectives

Regional Grocery Buyer-Waterford, NY; 1988-1993

Surpassed financial expectations in procurement of broad range of product lines for 140 stores throughout Upstate New York and New England

Pricing Analyst/UPC Coordinator-Waterford, NY; 1986-1988

Proficiently conducted competitive pricing analysis to boost profits and achieve solid market leveraging; managed sales retail billing and sales program quality assurance as well as worked with Corporate advertising department

Management Trainee-Hudson Falls, NY; 1986

Gained comprehensive experience in all areas of store operations by rotating through each department to build dynamic management skills

Certificate of Accomplishment, Sommelier Institute, Sommelier Executive Council, NJ Chapter
BA, Biology, Montclair State University-Upper Montclair, NJ

 

Active Host/Participant, Community Wine Tastings and Wine Dinners-NJ and NY

Board of Directors & Fundraiser, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-Albany, NY Chapter; 4 years