elaine scherer-makem portfolio
DESCRIPTION
The following represents some of Elaine's 18 years of experience in visual merchandising, interior and floral design.TRANSCRIPT
Elaine Scherer-Makem
portfolio
visual merchandising interior design floral design
experience
SUMMARY
•Over 16 years of extensive experience in all aspects of retail management with an emphasis on innovative visual merchandising at highly profitable retail locations.
•Exceptional skills managing creative individuals while ensuring the merchandising strategy helps strengthens and distinguishes the brand while driving sales.
•Proven leadership skills, ability to prioritize, multi task and work efficiently to handle strict deadlines, tight budgets, and limited resources to maintain and advance the brand. •Knowledgeable of industry trends and marketplace strategies.
•Passion for design, materials and craftsmanship
•Expert proficiency in creating visual merchandising floor plans utilizing AutoCAD, as well as ability to render technical floor plan designs by hand.
EDUCATION
Bard College | Annandale-on-Hudson, New YorkBachelor of Fine Arts | 1993
Massachusetts College of Art & Design | Boston, MAClasses in Illustration, Graphic Design, Glassblowing | 1988-1990
COMPUTER SKILLS
Apple + PC, Auto CAD, Powerpoint, Excel, Word, Photoshop
Elaine Scherer-Makem
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Crate&Barrel | Boston, MA – Hartford, CT – Toronto, CanadaRegional Visual Merchandiser – Furniture Division | 2004 – present
Work directly with individual store designers and managers in 7 domestic and 1 international location with a combined annual revenue of $81 million dollars, to create, execute, monitor and maintain floor plans based on each store’s unique customer profile. Constantly critique and evaluate these plans in an effort to promote sales and increase dollars per square foot while maintaining brand identity. Collaborate with Regional & Area Trainers on training materials in visual merchandising for all levels of employees. Cultivate & mentor staff interested in visual merchandising careers. Present seasonal merchandise and merchandising direction to store designers and management teams. Create and adhere to yearly expenditure budgets set up for individual stores. Additionally responsi-ble for creating unique floor plans for new stores opening in the New England market, which includes extensive market research, overseeing a staff of up to 8 designers from across the country as well as training new staff to assist in execution of floor plan & selling to customer profile.
•Facilitated the company’s participation in Boston Magazine’s Design House 2006 & 2008. Involved choosing a room, designing the interior from paint to product, working collaboratively with sponsors on product placement within that room, ordering custom and stock upholstery, hard goods and props, set-up and staging for magazine photo shoot. Crate&Barrel | New York, NYVisual Merchandiser – Furniture Division – Madison Ave. & SOHO | 2002-2004
Create, coordinate execution and maintain merchandising plan and high profile window displays for the Madison Avenue ($30 million in annual sales) & SOHO ($25 million in annual sales) locations.
•Responsible for scheduling, training, mentor and drive innovative techniques for up to 4 design trainees at a time.•Establish merchandising calendar to support business prioritize for each location•Drive merchandising plan to meet and exceed sales goals•Adhere to strict monthly budget•Collaboratively designed & installed table settings/furniture display for the Elle Décor sponsored DIFFA Dining by Design fundraising event annually from 2003-2005.
Crate&Barrel | Boston, MAManagement/Visual Merchandising – Housewares & Furniture Divisions | 1994-2002
Key management / visual merchandising positions in 5 Boston area stores focusing on outlet, house-wares and furniture businesses at different times. Traveled to 12 locations across the country to open new locations, responsible for interpreting and defining new corporate design directives to Boston area stores upon return.
Ciao Bella Floral Design | Brooklyn, NYFreelance Floral Designer | 2007 - present
Work within confines of budget to design floral displays for corporate and personal clients. Coordi-nate delivery and set-up in challenging environments.
Elaine Scherer-Makem
visual merchandising
Elaine Scherer-Makem
Natick, Massachusetts22,058 sf total retail selling space$9.8 million estimated sales plan Furniture Divsion
Elaine Scherer-Makem
Yordale, Toronto, Canada22,395 sf total retail selling space$20.7 million estimated annual sales
Elaine Scherer-Makem
West Hartford, Connecticut22,359 sf total retail selling space$7.8 million estimated sales plan Furniture Divsion
Elaine Scherer-Makem
Bridgewater, New Jersey22,058 sf total retail selling space$9.8 million estimated sales plan Furniture Divsion
interior design
floral design
Elaine Scherer-Makem
real simple bridal eventBurlington Crate & BarrelReal Simple Magazine & Crate&Barrel Wedding Guide Spring 2008
Elaine Scherer-Makem47 Pearl StreetAmesbury, MA
01913978.376.4196