The MAY Department Stores Company Explore a Career in Retail.

What is a Career in Retail? STORES ORGANIZATION BUYING ORGANIZATION Advertising….Distribution….Finance….Sales Support….Legal Consumer Research….Design & Technical….Merchandising

What is Merchandising? Buyers & Assistant Buyers work to maximize sales and profitability through traditional marketing avenues: PRODUCT: Selecting items and vendors the customer will respond to. PRICE: Negotiating costs and retails to turn the product profitably and efficiently. PLACE: Determine which stores receive goods and when the product hits the floor. PROMOTION: Plan and execute advertising and promotional pricing strategies. PRESENTATION: Enticing the customer to purchase.

PRODUCT  Using LY SALES to determine vendor/product mix  Analyzing TREND FORECASTS prior to market  Choosing best volume-driving KEY ITEM assortments  Understanding role of OPEN-TO-BUY  Managing CARRYOVER inventory and understanding STOCK/SALES performance  Prior, current and future VENDOR PERFORMANCE  Understanding CLASSIFICATION penetration

PRICE  Hitting key PRICE POINTS  Weight of customer PERCEIVED VALUE of product  Using VOLUME DISCOUNTS to build margin  Researching COMPETITION  Analyze planned TURNOVER and AVG. RETAIL

PLACE (DISTRIBUTION)  Determine METHOD of delivery to warehouse  Negotiate delivery COSTS  Effect of ADVERTISING on delivery  Using DOOR TRENDS and inventory status  Understanding customer/door GEOGRAPHICS  TRACKING all purchase orders  Researching current U.S. CUSTOMS and INTERNATIONAL shipping conditions

PROMOTION  Planning and executing ADVERTISING campaign  Negotiating responsibility for advertising COSTS  Proof LAYOUT and DESIGN of advertising  Implementing MARKDOWN strategy  MARGIN implication as a result of markdowns  Planning the promotional CALENDAR

PRESENTATION  Mapping layout of SALES FLOOR  Buying a presentation (T-STAND, TABLE, HANGING)  SIGNING the merchandise  Negotiating SHOPS  Vendor supported COLLATERAL

DMM GMM Assistant Buyer Area Sales Manager Buyer Executive Trainee BUYING CAREER PATH

Assistant Buyer  Work Directly with a Buyer  Prepare Sales and Profitability Analysis  Learn Product, Financial and Inventory Management  Input Pricing, Sales and Markdowns  Execute Advertising Strategy  Build Store and Vendor Relationships  Learn Skills Vital to Success as a Buyer

Area Sales Manager  Work Directly with a Divisional Manager  Manage Customer Service, Monitor Associate Performance & Sales Productivity  Execute Merchandise Standards (signing, sales events, merchandise flow, key item statements)  Screen, Interview and Hire Associates  Maintain Shortage Standards  Avg. Annual Volume: $2.5 Million

Buyer  Forecast Trends, Analyze Buying Patterns, Produce Sales  Monitor and Maintain Inventory Levels & Pricing Plan, Plan Seasonal Promotions, Negotiate Prices & Allowances from Vendors  Develop Assistant Buyers, Executive Trainees & Interns into Successful Merchants  Avg. Annual Sale Volume: $15 Million

Divisional Merchandise Manager  Supervise & Develop a Group of Buyers  Allocate Financial Resources  Develop Advertising & Pricing Strategies  Get Sales to the Bottom Line General Merchandise Manager  Supervise & Develop a Group of DMM’s  Conduct Market Analysis & Drive Market Penetration  Develop & Implement Strategies  Profit & Loss Responsibility

Why A Career in Retail?  Utilize Marketing and Finance  Exposure to Multiple Business Disciplines  Manage a Multi-million $ Business  High Level of Decision Making  Individual Performance Counts  Opportunity for Travel  Product Discounts  Challenging, Fast Paced and Dynamic

A Family of America’s Finest Department Stores Headquarters: St. Louis, MO What is the MAY Department Stores Company...

What is the MAY Department Stores Company 12 Store Trade Names 6 Regional Headquarters 1 Specialty Store Division State with May department stores

Who is May Department Stores? NAMEHEADQUARTERSSALES STORES Filene’s/Kaufmann’sBoston $ Robinson’s-May/Los Angeles $ Meier & Frank Hecht’s/Strawbridge’sWashington, D.C. $ Foley’sHouston $ Lord & TaylorNew York City $ Famous Barr/St. Louis $ L.S. Ayres/ The Jones Store The Bridal GroupPhiladelphia $

May facts...  Operate 439 quality department stores in 44 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico  The Bridal Group operates 150 David’s Bridal stores, 240 After Hours stores and 10 Priscilla of Boston stores  Revenue over $14 Billion  A Fortune 200 Company

Retail Success Characteristics...  Gets Results  Sets Challenging Goals  Energizes Others  Wants to Learn  Asks Probing Questions  Does Good Analysis & is Well Organized

The MAY Department Stores THANK YOU