Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Trainingsattended
Telephonecontacts
References
Languages
Personal Information
Timeline
Generic
Vivien Lee

Vivien Lee

Division Merchandising Manager
Kuala Lumpur

Summary

Dynamic individual with hands-on experience in Retail Fashion and talent for navigating challenges. Brings strong problem-solving skills and proactive approach to new tasks. Known for adaptability, creativity, and results-oriented mindset. Committed to making meaningful contributions and advancing organizational goals.

Overview

31
31
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Division Merchandising Manager

SOGO Departmental Store
8 2021 - Current
  • Working in tandem with brands on merchandising issues and price needs of the floor in order to achieve sales target
  • Researched new brands, acquired samples and negotiated merchandise deals.
  • Work co-operatively with the brands to help them re-brand and/or relaunch to customers after pandemic
  • Sales forecast & maximizing earning per sqft to achieve target'
  • Developed strong relationships with suppliers, securing better deals and exclusive products.
  • Achievement: Sales increased 7% vs LY (year-to-date) for JB store- highest sales contribution among all departments.
  • I’m also fully involved in the marketing/promotional activities, including the following: Formulate sales & competitive Analysis; Re-branding the existing legacy brands; Lead the buying team to build a brand blueprint, and then liaise with brands to achieve the goals.
  • Boosted brand awareness and generated leads while managing internal and external marketing campaigns and programs.
  • Improved customer loyalty by implementing effective digital marketing campaigns and personalized offers.
  • Developed and implemented marketing strategies to use for launches, rebranding campaigns and promotions.
  • Analyzed market trends to identify new opportunities, adjusting marketing plans accordingly for maximum effectiveness.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure consistent branding across all company touchpoints and communications channels.

Merchandising Manager

SOGO Departmental Store
12.2017 - 04.2018
  • In charge of Sports & Lifestyle floor, 90% concessionaires and 10% is outright
  • Communicate with concessionaire suppliers regarding merchandising issues and price needs of the floor in order to achieve sales target
  • I also plan the marketing activities, including sales and promotion
  • Restructured the floor layout and introduced new brand
  • Restructuring layout is essential to maximizing earnings per square meter
  • Sales forecast to achieve target
  • Responsible for creating monthly sales forecast and conduct weekly reviews to monitor variance to target
  • Implement plans to adjust according to target variance
  • Conduct marketing & promotional event activities, with the objective of achieving sales target
  • Coordinate efforts with different concessionaires, and oversee implementation of events
  • Negotiate with supplier to get the best price or to get exclusive merchandises
  • Prepare & review Company’s Business report for the management and advise the next course of actions
  • Conduct daily briefings with floor staff to get feedbacks and to find solutions to operational problems
  • Reviewed and updated department Standard Operational Procedures (SOP)
  • Achievement: Sales Increased 5.7% vs LY (year-to-date) Total floor brand increase 30%.

Operations Manager

FJ Benjamin (M) Sdn Bhd
04.2016 - 11.2017
  • My main responsibilities are branding and business development to boost revenues/profits
  • Solely responsible for store operational issues, planning, mentoring, and coaching the team to achieve sales KPI and setting up a new Store
  • My daily responsibilities also enabled me to be proactive in identifying consumer needs and spotting trends
  • Sourcing new locations for shop openings, in line with the Company’s expansion program
  • Consequently, built up good rapport and established close business contacts with Shopping Mall’s Leasing Managers, which are essential to future relationships
  • Prepare & review Company’s Business report for the management and advise the next course of actions
  • Involve in merchandising planning for stock allocation to individual shops
  • Precise calculation and forecasting are important for maximizing the stock turnover and reducing the stock balance at the end of financial year
  • Setting up internal control systems (e.g., stock movement, cashiering, and theft preventions such as monitoring and reducing the stock loss.) Handling staffing issues (e.g., manpower planning, disciplinary, motivational, compensational and remuneration issues.) Sales Achievement: Increased 4% and 12% for the months of Nov’16 and Dec’16 sales vs LY 2015; and increased 1.3% vs LY 2015 (year-to-date) I was given a team of 27 staffs to lead
  • It was of utmost importance for me to emphasize team building and motivation by providing support in the following manner: Communicate with each outlet person-in-charge (PIC) closely on a day-to-day basis
  • Encourage suggestions on how to improve operations Counseling when grievances arise On-hand management and on-job training Empower all outlet PICs to solve ad-hoc problems and handle other unforeseen circumstances in order to develop their confidence.

Personal Assistant to Managing Director

LJACK (M) Sdn Bhd
03.2013 - 03.2016
  • Played key role in expanding product-mix by improving packaging, restructuring focused product in order to serve target markets, reorganizing production line, prioritizing territories, and launching new operation system
  • This resulted in capturing new markets and allow for the development of new applications for our products
  • Improving team environment and ensuring harmonious employee relations by fostering a creative atmosphere whereby employee participations are encouraged
  • Cultivated and maintained strong communications with suppliers, in order to improve business relations and achieve delivery targets to customers
  • Through tight-knitted relationships with suppliers, we ultimately are able to meet our product and packaging goals
  • Developed new production line to meet increased demands Setup new factory
  • Achievements in the following aspects: Machinery – participated in the purchasing process and organizing the trainings
  • Staff hiring – led the process of hiring new staff to meet the expansion International certificate application – successfully applied and secured all the required certificates (HACCP, HALAL, GMP) for production and sales of food products
  • The process included applications, seminar, training, audit, and continuous monitoring
  • Production license application – successfully applied and secured all required licenses for the expanded production line
  • Successfully developed new local and China market via securing toll and licensing manufacturing with mainland Chinese investor
  • Sales Achievement: Increased 6.5% of yearly sales vs LY 2013, 11.3% vs LY 2014 and increased 9.7% vs LY2015 (year-to-date) Re-structured and re-positioned management staff to achieve optimum productivity.

Retail Operations Manager

Club 21 (M) Sdn Bhd
10.2010 - 06.2012
  • The challenge was to expand branding and business development to boost revenues/profits
  • Played an active role in negotiating, planning and setting up a new counter
  • Building good business contacts and widening network by servicing existing clients and suppliers, which enabled me to be proactive in identifying consumer needs and spotting trends
  • Brands: Marc by Marc Jacobs, CK, DKNY (leather Goods) & DKNY kids wear & CK Men wear Negotiate rental, margin and conditions with potential Departmental Stores Analyzing potential location to check for suitability such as logistic, environment, customers flow and infrastructures
  • Comparing other competitors in a same mall is also equally important in maintaining the image of the brand Strategic planning for each outlets’ floor plan to maximize the operations efficiency Other Key Responsibilities: staff training and development in merchandising, daily operational matters, off-site sales, launchings, and media promotional events
  • I was given a team of 37 staffs to lead
  • It was of utmost importance for me to emphasize team building and motivation by providing supports such as- Communicate with each outlet in-charge closely on a day-to-day basis
  • Encourage suggestions on how to improve operations Counseling when grievances arise On-hand management and on-job training Empowered all outlet in-charge to solve ad-hoc problem and handle other unforeseen circumstances, so as to develop their confidence Achieved 13% growth of sales relative to year 2011 (up to June) Achieved 0% staff turn-over.

Merchandising Manager

TANGS Department Store Sdn Bhd
03.2005 - 09.2010
  • Wholly responsible for maintaining the success of Tang+Co (international multi-designer labels) and Wardrobe Men
  • Responsibilities include developing merchandising plan, creating strategy to bring the plan to fruition, and oversee its implementation
  • Strategy 1: creating customers profile, classification, and study fashion trends to develop a market database of buying behaviors
  • Strategy 2: work with existing vendors, as well as new sources to meet the set objectives
  • Pricing: developing price strategy to cater for different market segments Sales: to develop and achieve planned objectives in sales through markups, markdowns, stock turnovers, gross profit, and other controllable variables
  • Development: to plan and support exclusive brands (own private labels/ exclusive to-market brands), as well as to support import programs
  • Analysis: to identify and maximize fast selling items; to identify slow moving items and take remedial actions
  • Stock Planning: to control open-to-buy, stock levels, and deliveries
  • Merchandising trips: Milan and Florence, Italy Other Key Responsibilities: staff training and development in merchandising, daily operational matters, off-site sales, launchings, and media promotional events.

Brand Manager

Gamut Marketing Sdn Bhd
09.2003 - 02.2005
  • Played key role in revitalizing brand by reorganizing brand concept, restructuring product mix, improving merchandising strategies, reorganizing territories, and launching promotional campaigns
  • Improving team environment and ensuring harmonious employee relations by fostering a creative atmosphere whereby employee participations are encouraged
  • Cultivated and maintained strong communications and business relations with suppliers, with the ultimate goal of meeting product requirements
  • Manage stock positions to maximize profits, by organizing off-site sales and negotiated improved deals with suppliers
  • Raised profit by reducing stock loss by 50% from first to second year, and by 23% from second to third year
  • This is done by implementing various security measures and creating Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to address all foreseeable contingencies
  • Served as Project Manager for the successful creation of Bangsar Village 2 Island Shop outlet, and was wholly responsible for keeping costs within budget while meeting all creative requirements without having to compromise
  • Participated in the successful creation of Tangs Pavilion, and wholly responsible for the construction and creative implementation of the Island Shop store within it
  • In addition, creatively participated in the grand launching of Tangs Pavilion
  • Reorganize outlets to improve efficiency
  • This involves personnel matters as well as ensuring optimum stock level is achieved
  • Improved security of outlets by developing measure to minimize stock loss due to external factors
  • Rejuvenated brand by re-thinking creative concepts of the brand and followed-through with instigating new merchandizing practices (i.e., new source) Improved brand awareness by cultivating better relationships with the media
  • Improved quality of service by organizing employee training.

Senior Retail Manager

B.U.M Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd
02.2002 - 08.2003
  • Responsible for store operations issues, including locating new and potential shops for business expansion, shop set-up, internal operational issues, visual merchandising, merchandising planning (allocation) and staffing issues
  • Sourcing new locations for shop openings, in line with the Company’s expansion program
  • Consequently, built up good rapport and established close business contacts with Shopping Mall’s Leasing Managers, which are essential to future relationships
  • Prepare & review Company’s P&L report for the management and advise the next course of actions
  • Preparing new financial budget of individual brands for management approval and set up monthly sales target for respective shops
  • In charge of merchandising planning for stock allocation to individual shops
  • Precise calculation and forecasting are important for maximizing the stock turnover and reducing the stock balance at the end of financial year
  • Setting up internal control systems (e.g., stock movement, cashiering, theft preventions such as monitoring and reducing the stock loss.) Handling staffing issues (e.g., manpower planning, disciplinary, motivational, compensational and remuneration issues
  • Propose and implement basic visual merchandising guidelines for the shops.

Marketing Executive

Padini Corporation Berhad
01.1995 - 01.2002
  • The challenge was to expand branding and business development to boost revenues/profits
  • Played an active role in negotiating, planning and setting up a new retail shop and counter
  • Building good business contacts and widening network by servicing existing clients and suppliers, which enabled me to be proactive in identifying consumer needs and spotting trends
  • Led a team of two assistants on organizing various promotions, events and business development
  • Reporting to Brand Manager
  • Negotiate rental, margin and conditions with all Malls & Departmental Stores Analyzing potential location to check for suitability such as logistic, environment, customers flow and infrastructures
  • Comparing other competitors in a same mall is also equally important in maintaining the image of the brand Strategic planning for each outlets’ floor plan to maximize the operations efficiency Entrusted with and responsible for opening the following outlets & counters- Counters: Isetan K.L.C.C
  • / Isetan Lot 10 / Parkson Sungei Wang / City Square J.B, Penang / Super Komtar Penang etc Shops: Sungei Wang K.L
  • / Sunway Pyramid P.J
  • / Mid Valley K
  • L
  • / Bandar Utama P.J
  • / Wangsa Maju K.L
  • / Pragin Mall Penang / City Square J.B
  • Etc
  • In depth knowledge of developing and organizing various Seasonal Promotion Activities to achieved sales results, such as- Coordinated P
  • A
  • Seasons Product Launching since year 2000 and numerous fashion shows
  • Joint promotion with various Malls to create awareness of P
  • A
  • Products Forecasting for various holidays and festive seasons to anticipate the consumers needs Organized suitable dates for Wagon Sales to clear end seasons stocks to reduce inventory cost

Senior Supervisor

Isetan of Japan Sdn Bhd
01.1994 - 01.1995
  • I was responsible for the floor operations by managing internal staffs and promoters
  • Conducted morning and afternoon briefing to prioritize daily operations Ensure all staffs follow the standard, grooming and procedures set by Isetan Updated all suppliers on the performance of sales and staffs, changes on merchandising patterns and number of staff needed Equipped all sales staffs with adequate product knowledge and selling skills to achieved optimum customer service at all times On job training Daily cash flow and cashiering.

Education

Sekolah Menengah Bandaraya. KL
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Skills

MS Office: MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint

Certification

Business Communication Skills - ELS Language Centre

Trainingsattended

  • Project Management Workshop I & II (July 2002 & November 2006 )
  • Team Building I & II (Dec 2008 & March 2009)
  • THE 7 HABITS (May 2009)
  • Coaching Others for Top Performance (July 2009)
  • Risk Management (Jan 2010)

Telephonecontacts

012 303 7035, vivienleeam@yahoo.com

References

  • Jason Khor, Senior General Manager, SOGO Department Store, Immediate Superior, 012 339 8535
  • Jeffrey Wong, Senior Manager, Store Management & Merchandising, TANGS Department Store, Superior, 012 264 8811
  • Shannon Yee, Brand Manager, Club Twenty One (M) Sdn Bhd, Immediate Superior, 012 208 3433

Languages

English
Bahasa Malaysia
Mandarin
Hakka
Cantonese

Personal Information

  • Age: 54
  • Date of Birth: 08/09/70
  • Gender: Female
  • Nationality: Malaysian
  • Marital Status: Married

Timeline

Merchandising Manager

SOGO Departmental Store
12.2017 - 04.2018

Operations Manager

FJ Benjamin (M) Sdn Bhd
04.2016 - 11.2017

Personal Assistant to Managing Director

LJACK (M) Sdn Bhd
03.2013 - 03.2016

Retail Operations Manager

Club 21 (M) Sdn Bhd
10.2010 - 06.2012

Merchandising Manager

TANGS Department Store Sdn Bhd
03.2005 - 09.2010

Brand Manager

Gamut Marketing Sdn Bhd
09.2003 - 02.2005

Senior Retail Manager

B.U.M Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd
02.2002 - 08.2003

Marketing Executive

Padini Corporation Berhad
01.1995 - 01.2002

Senior Supervisor

Isetan of Japan Sdn Bhd
01.1994 - 01.1995

Division Merchandising Manager

SOGO Departmental Store
8 2021 - Current

Sekolah Menengah Bandaraya. KL

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Vivien LeeDivision Merchandising Manager