Trade Marketing Manager ME
Angelini Beauty: Idesa Parfums / ITF
Total years of experience :26 years, 11 Months
-This position is based at Angelini Beauty main offices JV with Flawless based in DAFZA, Dubai, UAE.
-Responsible on the overall Trade Marketing for all the group brands: Idesa Parfums Group: Angel Schlesser, Armand Basi, Mandarina Duck, Custo Barcelona and Anne Möller / ITF Group: Trussardi, DSquared2, Pomellato and Blumarine.
-Review and adapt the global marketing plan for the fragrances portfolio from global Head Quarters to the Middle East Markets: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, and Palestine.
-Execute the Marketing / Trade Marketing plan across Retail Chains and Travel Retail across the region and ensure that they are aligned with the brands' guidelines and policies.
-Analyze and evaluate the success of Trade Marketing activities (animations and in-store promotions) for each brand and report the results back to the Global Headquarters, the international Manager.
-Manage the trainings for the Retail Staff on the brands and sales techniques to ensure that they represent the brands to the best possible standards.
-Conduct regular market visits in the UAE as well as travel to all Middle East markets and duty frees.
-Collaborate with the Regional Manager for the ideation, planning & budgeting, production and implementation of all in store activities, including point of sales materials and promotions.
-Manage the point of sales material (including budget, logistics, distribution, assortment…) by finding the most efficient solutions.
-Collaborate with brand managers and marketing team to build sales promotions and product communication.
-Collaborate with sales teams to turn the “selling stories” into sales tools to effectively present the brands, the products and the marketing initiatives to their customers.
-Collaborate with marketing intelligence resource to read and report results of activities and to provide recommendations and forecasts.
-Support local teams in the execution of the activities and in achieving their sales and budget objectives, while ensuring the desired product benefits and brand values/equity are properly communicated.
-Ensure that the local feedback is taken into account by regularly visiting sales teams, customers and stores.
-This position is based at Clarins Group Middle East subsidiary (CGME) main offices based in Dubai, UAE.
-Worked under both divisions, “Clarins Brand” and “CFG” (Clarins Fragrance Group: Thierry Mugler, Azzaro, Porsche Design, David Yurman and Swarovski) for Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Reunion Island, Mauritius, and Middle Africa (Through IOM: Inter Outre Mer - Monaco).
-Establish and manage the P&L of my customers’ portfolio by brand and consolidated.
-Develop, plan, set budgets and A&P on a yearly basis with our clients and track closely on monthly basis all budgets set and prepare revisions when needed.
-Travel and meet with our three mode clients (Service Providers - GCC Countries / Distributors / Retailers) and visit points of sales.
-Develop long-term relationships with clients to ensure open-line of communication.
-Build relationships that foster a healthy team environment by providing information and communicating effectively.
-Ensure BA's presentation guidelines are followed; provide coaching and training and ensure that sales techniques taught by trainers are properly used.
-Reinforce brand’s positioning through gain of Market Share.
-Design, implement and enforce procedures required to be able to grow the business with existing and new agents.
-Examine sales results; expenses and activities on a monthly basis in order to ensure sales and financial objectives are obtained.
-Train the Country Managers and Brands Managers.
-Track sales performance against goal; provide feedback/strategies to generate incremental sales; motivate Brand Managers / Country Managers to perform/overachieve.
-Maintain brand presentation standards: counters, GTU's, gondolas, wall units, visuals, window displays, merchandising, animations, stock, signage, testers, samples and FOC's.
-Utilize corporate merchandising guidelines to ensure high quality area presentation, maintain an appealing store area, optimize selling space and maximize selling potential.
-Proactively monitor retail sales, stock levels by POS to avoid low/out-of-stock situations, product misallocation or over stocks at POS.
-Negotiate and ensure space agreements are respected at POS.
-Negotiate and check prices and ensure price strategy is presented at the POS level.
-Select and negotiate locations. Decide POS opening and closure.
-Advise and manage clients on how to spend their marketing budget (A&P).
-Responsible for monitoring operation expenses (For all clients and especially Service Providers). Validate debit notes based on Budget provided.
-Forecast sales by product and by territory for all, basic, novelties and promotions.
-Manage and coordinate the brand promotion process.
-Follow all marketing programs: GWP, PWP, contests, and brochures.
-Make sure the marketing plan and the merchandising is properly implemented.
-Coordinate promotional events and launches.
-Follow-up of regional promotional activities designed with the marketing department for the regional retailers based on the periodic retailers’ strategy meetings.
-Watch competition, market trends and local legal requirements.
-Provide monthly updates/reports on all accounts to Vice President covering all aspects of the business.
-Analytical skills including advanced excel, and experience of business-focused reporting.
-Review financial reports and seek potential to improve Clarins Group bottom line.
-Study and analyze routine reports to keep track of the business trends and advise on recommendations accordingly to Management.
- This position is based at Madi International main offices based in Salmiya, Kuwait.
- Responsible for the day-to-day management of all the retail P.O.S.
- Ensure that sales targets are met by making the most suitable products and services available to the customer, and finding the best ways of selling them quickly and profitably.
- Develop the policy and procedure of the Retail Division.
- Improve the commercial performance of the company, work towards an increased market share by exploiting opportunities to maximize profitability, increase customer satisfaction and ensure continued business growth.
- Manage and motivate my team to increase sales and ensure efficiency.
- Oversee stock levels and make key decisions relating to the constant demands of stock control and management.
- Analyze sales figures and forecasting to ensure maximization of sales and profit.
- Using IT for recording sales, data analysis and forward planning.
- Dealing with staffing issues, interviewing potential staff, conducting appraisals and performance reviews and organizing training and development.
- Problem-solving health, safety, legal and security issues.
- Responding to customer complaints and comments.
- Organize special promotions, displays and events.
- Attend and chair meetings.
- Update staff and local suppliers on business performance, new initiatives and other pertinent issues.
- Make regular tours of the sales floor, talking to staff, local suppliers and customers, identifying urgent issues and solving them.
- Being close to where the business is going, knowing about customer initiatives in the pipeline and monitor what local competitors are doing.
- Initiate changes such as extending opening hours to ensure that the stores are able to compete effectively in the local market.
- Build very neat and strong business relations with the local suppliers.
- Build and develop a very organized customer data.
- This position is based at C&F (Cosmetics & Fragrances) retail main offices.
- Cost-benefit analysis per linear meter per heading and brand by point of sale and in cumulated.
- Calculate the report/ratio of each heading (Mass Products, Male and Female Fragrances, Skin Care, Make-Up...).
- Analyzing consumer buying patterns and predicting future trends.
- Analyzing selling inventory and preparing information for “best seller” “worst seller” meetings.
- Collaborate with Branch Managers and Merchandising Assistants on a daily basis to determine merchandise plans to support the department sales plans and initiate purchase orders and determine optimal distribution for each store to support plans and/or respond to sales variances.
- Analyze store sales in order to properly adjust basic levels, maintain store stocks to inventory plan, and communicate issues and opportunities with Director of Retail.
- Track & report KPIs to ensure goals are met monthly, quarterly and fiscally.
- Negotiating prices, quantities and delivery time-scales.
- Monitor and improve cost, delivery and quality performance of all suppliers.
- Regularly reviewing performance indicators, such as sales and discount levels.
- Maintaining relationships with existing suppliers and sourcing new suppliers for future products and meeting suppliers and negotiating terms of contract.
- Participating in promotional activities. Pre and post-promotion evaluations.
- Writing reports and forecasting sales levels.
- Getting feedback from customers and liaising with shop managers to ensure supply meets demand.
- Make the stock purchase check from all branches and follow-up of the exchanges of stock between branches.
- Ensure purchase orders are in control to meet customer material needs and support any urgent purchase requests.
- Meet cost reduction targets through strict monitoring, supplier and market trend analysis and effective negotiations.
- Monitor sales targets by brand and point of sale.
- Analyze brands evolutions by point of sale, heading and brand.
- Determine the minima & maxima of purchase per reference.
- This position was based at C&F (Cosmetics & Fragrances) retail outlets.
- Project-managed and successfully completed a number of new openings for different store concepts. This process involved comprehensive concept development, planning, project management, operational process planning, sales forecast, stock management, etc.
- Achieved a high profile within the company as the most successful manager in terms of staff training and coaching.
- Suggested various new sales strategies to position the outlets in the high-end consumer segment of the market. I was also responsible for the development and implementation of marketing and sales promotion plans both below and above the line.
- Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers, responding to customer inquiries and complaints, and managing customers’ relationship.
- Assign employees to specific duties then monitor sales activities to ensure that customers receive satisfactory service and quality goods.
- Handling meetings for the sales team to check their performance and sales target.
- Direct and supervise employees engaged in sales, inventory-taking, reconciling cash receipts, and in performing services for customers.
- Formulated and implemented customer loyalty programs to monitor and analyze consumer behavior, particularly repeat clients and average sale by customer. Information output is used to improve sales and staff performance.
- Increased sales in all outlets under my direct supervision by an average of 25% YOY.
- This position was based at Beirut Airport Duty Free.
- Core duties and responsibilities included counter sales, treasurer, merchandising, and customer care.
- Attended formal training provided by international suppliers for brand development, product launch, customer service, etc.
- Responsible for managing the company’s participation in local exhibitions.
- This position was provisional depending on the company’s participation in trade fairs. Performing this role entailed various aspects of customer service, sales promotion, stock management, etc.
Achieved (A) grade in graduation project. The subject of the project was: “Lebanon’s Grounding to The World Trade Organization Membership”.
Achieved (A) grade in graduation project. The subject of the project was: “La production de Jus et de Ketchup au Liban".