Wendy Pantaratana’s Post

Happy Monday Everyone! I wanted to take a moment and share our amazing 3rd quarter results at Skechers. 👏 I am very proud to work for an organization that continues to foster teamwork, collaboration, and so many growth opportunities for a lasting career! Are you interested? Please connect with me or click on one of the amazing District Managers in the Region!! Let's chat, meet, and get growing 🥰 We want to meet you! Phoenix/Tucson (Ali Svoboda) Phoenix (Frank Moreno) Las Vegas (Becky Jech) Hawaii (Josh Mesa) Skechers Announces Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Record-breaking Quarterly Sales of $2.35 Billion! “Strong consumer demand for Skechers across all distribution channels resulted in a new quarterly sales record of $2.35 billion,” began David Weinberg, Chief Operating Officer of Skechers. “Skechers significant growth in the third quarter can be attributed to offering the right product at the right price and ensuring availability at locations where consumers want to shop – whether it’s in our own direct-to-consumer channels or with our network of key retailers,” began Robert Greenberg, Chief Executive Officer of Skechers. Third Quarter Highlights: Record quarterly sales of $2.35 billion, a 15.9% increase Wholesale sales grew 20.6% Direct-to-Consumer sales grew 9.6% Diluted earnings per share of $1.26, a 35.5% increase Repurchased $90.0 million of Class A common stock For this Q3 Earnings post, click. https://lnkd.in/gk_acde6 #Skechers #SkechersCareers #Retailing #OpenToWork

Getting your product to your consumer! Day 3 Hosted by Marks and Spencer at their Marble Arch store - things got very real! Kicking us off was Lauren Mallon bringing real energy and honesty in sharing her career journey - important theme being just how far attitude takes you in unlocking breadth & experiences. Hantian Wang brilliantly brought to life the magic of range & spacing - how to stand out and insight into what your customers (Buyer) are prioritising. Our teams were joined by some outstanding graduates Niamh Timpson Hannah Connolly Gregor Munro Millie Stewart who took our teams to stake out different channels (Stores, Restaurants, Pubs etc.). Prompted some excellent thinking around the right channels for the right brands. This is part of the magic of the industry: it's so very relatable and the deeper you dive, the more interesting it becomes. Our delegates felt the same - teams were getting strategic about who was staying/who was going: there's some tension brewing with laptops being slammed shut as soon as anyone who isn't in your team approaches! A huge thank you to the team Marks and Spencer for a brilliant and thoughtful experience - particularly Becky Cock who took the reins mid-way through and delivered such a cracking day. Over half-way now! The energy levels have been sustained, the quality questions keep coming - what a treat to have a front row seat! Psalt

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In the chaos of the everyday hustle, it is easy to lose track of progress. We set goals, we meet them (when things align) and we move on to the next. As I close in on my fifth month at First Retail Group, I'm taking a brief moment to pause. A gentle reminder, for all of us, to celebrate the wins and embrace the lessons learned from the misses. Wins, no matter how small, serve as markers of growth and perseverance. Here are my top 10 *moments* thus far: 1. My kids coming to see me at work when I couldn't make it home, thanks to the best support system a working mother/parent could ever ask for. 2. Company Vision, Mission and Values defined 3. Team OKRs in progress 4. Performance Management System introduced 5. 50+ new hires 6. 1 award of bid for a new strategic location 7. 1 new brand partnership confirmed 8. 1 store reopening - Miniso, Gulf City Mall 9. 1 new brand, new store opening - Levi's East Gates Mall 10. 2 new store openings - Miniso Trincity Mall and Miniso Westmall And yes, there were LOTS of missteps, missed deadlines and outright misses. Evident by the serious bags under my eyes from a BIG week with MISSED sleep 😅 Pause over - back to it! #Retail #Backtowork

📣 AN INTRODUCTION TO US 📣 We often get asked to share more about ourselves and our story so here we are… I am Claire, and my journey into retail began serendipitously, there was no strategy or big career plan. After finishing my studies and deciding the route of living out my then dream of becoming the next Lee McQueen was not for me, I stumbled onto the shop floor of Selfridges at an early age. I remember telling my floor manager, I was just there ‘to work out my fashion career’, he must have been thrilled, 6 months later I was promoted to my first leadership role & spent the next 5 years learning my craft in the store whilst progressing up the ladder. I was instantly hooked on the fast paced nature and the challenge of adapting to the ever-changing market. 25 years later with a wealth of experience and learnings here I am, now in a very fortunate position to pass on my knowledge and skills to support others in shaping their teams & business. My passion for retail leadership stems from its unique blend of creativity, strategy and people focused services that define the industry. I have become fascinated by the energy and dynamics for the retail industry, what started off as curiosity evolved into a passion and a fulfilling career where I’ve had the privilege of working with such a diverse group of people and brands. Want to find out more? To carry on the conversation and find out more about me and what we do at Atelier Consultancy, email me at claire@atelierconsultancy.com to book a discovery call and explore the ways in which we can support the growth of your business. PS: Beyond retail I find joy in the ocean, sunny Ibiza days, dark chocolate, my nephews, long walks in nature & travel. Anyone who knows me well knows I am always on the lookout for my next adventure. #RetailIndustry #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Consultancy #TeamDevelopment

Interesting how retail fashion is going through a massive reshuffle. Perhaps a theme for the resurgence of the high street where supply is balanced with demand. Let’s what’s this space.

Two weeks ago, I traded my laptop for a lanyard and joined the Fabletics retail team as a one-day Sales Associate. It was humbling. It was a reminder of a belief I hold close: “minimum duality.” We’re not defined by a single role or title. We all have the capacity to embrace multiple identities, take on new challenges, and show up as our full selves wherever we are. Here’s what leadership looked like on the retail floor: ✅ Confidently sharing deep product knowledge. ✅ Pivoting quickly under pressure during peak hours. ✅ Building genuine connections with every customer. This experience reinforced something powerful: Every role matters. Leadership isn’t about a title—it’s about showing up with courage, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. To our incredible retail team: thank you. I walked away with sore feet, a full heart, and even greater respect for the work you do every day. To all of us: let’s lean into our duality. ➡️ You can lead in a meeting and work a cash register. ➡️ You can be both a student and a teacher. ➡️ You can learn and lead—sometimes all in the same day. (And yes, I may have sold a few leggings along the way 😉.)

After weeks of hard work, I’m excited to have transformed a retail concession from negative growth to positive growth. From 🔴 Red Flag to 💚 Green Flag ! Months ago, I’ve been offered the opportunity to become the sole manager, leading a completely new team in an entirely new setting. I viewed this not as a challenge, but as an incredible opportunity. As a result, we achieved outstanding results within the UK & Ireland Area: 🏆 Ranked #1 in sales value among 7 concessions in the area. 🏆 Ranked #4 in weekly growth among 23 stores in the area (The only concession to make it into the Top 4) 🏆 Achieved +44% over the plan and +45% over budget. What did I do differently? 1) Optimized store assortment to increase stock turnover by identifying merchandising opportunities through bestseller insights and internal benchmarking. 2) Customized visual merchandising based on the store's target market preferences and the latest trends. 3) Improved stock intake processing by reducing backlog to zero and aligning product launches with the campaign timeline in real time. 4) Built a strong team by strategically allocating manpower and providing focused training, based on individual strengths and areas for improvement. 5) Adopted an open-minded and supportive leadership style, encouraging open communication and active listening to inspire the team. 6) Maintained constant communication with other managers to stay updated on changes and adapted store strategy to effectively address them. I won't stop here, despite achieving remarkable results. The focus now is on maintaining consistency and finding the next breakthrough to reach even greater heights. Though I lead a smaller business unit, it doesn't stop me from benchmarking against flagship stores in terms of growth.This mindset of challenging ourselves is key to driving constant improvement. #COSlife #COS #HMGroup #ConcessionManager #DepartmentManager #IrelandFashionRetail #BrownThomas #DublinFashionRetail #UnitedKingdomandIreland #AreaRetail #ConstantImprovement #Entrepreneurship #Openminded #Leadership #StoreManager #RetailLeader #SalesLeadership #RetailSpecialists #FashionRetail #BusinessGrowth #VisualMerchandising #Merchandising #RetailAssortment

"Jim, I'm giving you the freedom to fail." Those words from one of my great bosses, John Hardy, Atlanta Division Deli Merchandising Director. I'm the yellow chicken in the back. We were kicking off the summer 1986 season with a fried chicken promotion. For the record it took six rides on the Six Flags Over Georgia roller coaster to get the photo shot just right. I think everyone thought John was nuts when he said we were going to sell "cold fried chicken" in the deli cases at Kroger. That's right. Marinate overnight, fry the chicken, put it in the cooler overnight, display it in the case the next day. "A lot of people in the South like cold fried chicken the next day," John said. He was right. The chicken tonnage doubled in the Atlanta Division from this smart marketing move. This is one example of how he led me to experiment and be unafraid to try new ideas. One way I did that was to take our fresh-made pizzas and tilt them on display in upright refrigerated cases to catch the attention of shoppers on their way to the check-out lanes. That was a success too. By late August I was invited to fly with John to Louisville KY to the #1 deli in the Kroger company to see how to merchandise in the new European curved glass cases. We were met by the Cincinnati corporate head of Deli Merchandising. That kind of exposure never hurts. Looking back, I realize this was my first "sales" job. It wasn't line management like it was when I was a store manager. It was a role where you had to "sell your ideas" to other store managers and deli managers in order for them to improve sales and profits. We did over 15 grand openings of many new Kroger stores during my two-year merchandising role, from Rome to Newnan, Alpharetta to City Center. I realize it shaped how I would approach job roles over the years. I became the person my bosses would pick to pioneer new initiatives. And I succeeded. It's amazing what giving yourself the freedom to take calculated risks, the freedom to fail, can do for your mindset and your career. What initiatives have you taken while being unafraid to fail? Please share in the comments. #risktaking #merchandising #salestips #jimkerlinconsulting

As I reflect on my journey, one of the most transformative phases of my career was stepping into retail management. My experience as a Store Manager at Biba Apparels gave me a new perspective on the retail industry. It wasn’t just about selling clothes; it was about understanding what makes customers tick, what drives them to choose one brand over another, and how to create an inviting atmosphere that makes them want to return. In my role, I was responsible for everything from managing store operations to mentoring a team of talented individuals. Every day came with its own challenges, whether it was balancing inventory, managing peak season transitions, or ensuring that our visual merchandising was on point. But the most rewarding part was seeing how a well-coordinated effort could result in a seamless customer experience and, of course, meeting our sales goals. What makes this industry truly special is the human connection. The relationships you build with your team, your customers, and even your suppliers have a huge impact on the success of the store. Through the highs and lows, I’ve always kept my focus on delivering quality service and creating memorable experiences. I’m incredibly proud of the work I’ve done, but the journey doesn’t stop here. I believe there’s always something new to learn and room to grow. I’m looking forward to what the future holds and eager to connect with professionals who share the same passion for retail excellence. #RetailLeadership #TeamManagement #FashionRetail #SalesGrowth #RetailExperience #CustomerSatisfaction #StoreOperations #VisualMerchandising #CareerJourney #RetailInsights