Jose Padron

Oversee visual merchandising and store design for the entire North American market as part of new stand-alone VMSD team. Responsible for the strategic execution of all elements that touch a consumer at the retail level in 270+ company owned doors and across the muti channel wholesale network.  Currently Managing team of 7 FTEs, 3 PTE’s and a $4MM + budget.

• Revamped all aspects of the POP process to support a new structure, developing new processes, restructuring staff responsibilities, and creating new tools for monitoring progress and expenditures
• Rolled out new store design initiative to address aging design, leverage new business opportunities, and align brand expression globally across retail and wholesale doors.
• Achieved  $400,000+ in expenses from VM budget by establishing cross-functional time lines and defining team’s roles & responsibilities with internal and external partners. 
• Conducted market overview and roll-out plan for comprehensive plan-o-gram software for Godiva International.

Directed all aspects of visual communication across North American boutiques, supervising department staff

and managing the creation and delivery of seasonal displays, permanent displays, visual merchandising communication, and all in-store POS signage. Manage team of 2 FTEs.

• Contributed to the growth of chain from 152 stores to over 300 within four years, rationalizing all in-store displays to improve chain growth projections and keep budget expenditures in control.
• Reduced visual portion of new store costs by 47% across three years.
• Consistently achieved budget savings of 10-20% for key projects ranging from $250K to $4MM through vendor selection and negotiation, design rationalization, time line management, and ordering & inventory overhauls.
• Increased store retail comp by +11 through testing and executing the national rollout of improved merchandising techniques. Merchandising techniques result of partnership with consultants (Envirosell & Berglass Grayson)
• As part of the Global Retail Council, replicated North American retail best practices to newly established Japanese and European retail teams.
• Streamlined in-store execution through implementing and maintaining a digital workflow system for the creation of visual merchandising guidelines. Reduced production of directives from 4 weeks to 2.5 weeks.

Oversaw creative and procurement functions for all brand/marketing communication for POS wholesale and retail operations; retail included 19 licensed stores, 8 Shop-in-Shops, 3 outlet stores, and 1 flagship store. Managed key marketing initiatives, including promotional packaging and gift-with-purchase programs. Designed seasonal presentation of Swatch lines to trade at market weeks and company showroom.

• Reduced core display costs by 40% through revamping the entire display program for wholesale doors.
• Developed the company’s first comprehensive visual program, creating an in-store signage system, seasonal window/banner program, promotional/holiday visual packages, and new product launch kits.
• Created visual and communication solutions as part of Swatch’s sponsorship of the 1996 Atlanta Games rolling out 50 -70 incremental outposts across the Atlanta market in 6 months
• Led the renovation of the NYC flagship store on 57th St. Largest Swatch store in the world at that time. 3 level store designed and built in NYC in less than 1 year.
• Promoted to Director after one year.

Directed design for a sales-oriented POP and store fixture supplier, providing hands-on leadership for all phases of the design process. Developed and executed strategic 3D merchandising solutions, targeting cosmetic and multiple mass-market category leaders to expand market share and diversify the company’s client base. Designed and manufactured department store cosmetic islands, counter top tester units, fragrance launch packages, gondola category systems, etc. Clients included: Elizabeth Arden, Clarins, La Prairie, Bobby Brown, Johnson & Johnson.

Led conceptual development and design of consumer products for a wide range of clients in the housewares industry. Developed working knowledge of injection molding, wood and metal manufacture.