Elaine Scherer-Makem Portfolio

Elaine Scherer-Makem visual merchandising interior design floral design

portfolio

experience

Elaine Scherer-Makem 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 York Bachelor of Fine Arts | 1993 Massachusetts College of Art & Design | Boston, MA Classes 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, Canada Regional 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 responsible 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, NY

Visual 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, MA

Management/Visual Merchandising – Housewares & Furniture Divisions | 1994-2002 Key management / visual merchandising positions in 5 Boston area stores focusing on outlet, housewares 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, NY Freelance Floral Designer | 2007 - present

Work within confines of budget to design floral displays for corporate and personal clients. Coordinate delivery and set-up in challenging environments.

visual merchandising

Elaine Scherer-Makem

Burlington, Massachusetts elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

Burlington, Massachusetts elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

Burlington, Massachusetts elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

Burlington, Massachusetts elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

Natick, Massachusetts 22,058 sf total retail selling space $9.8 million estimated sales plan Furniture Divsion

elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

Natick, Massachusetts elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

Natick, Massachusetts elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

Yordale, Toronto, Canada 22,395 sf total retail selling space $20.7 million estimated annual sales

elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

West Hartford, Connecticut 22,359 sf total retail selling space $7.8 million estimated sales plan Furniture Divsion

elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

West Hartford, Connecticut elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

Bridgewater, New Jersey 22,058 sf total retail selling space $9.8 million estimated sales plan Furniture Divsion

elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

Bridgewater, New Jersey elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

boston cow parade & marimekko annivesary tribute 2006 elaine@makem.com

interior design

Elaine Scherer-Makem

DIFFA elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

DIFFA elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

design home 2006 Boston Magazine Showhouse

elaine@makem.com

floral design

Elaine Scherer-Makem

real simple bridal event Burlington Crate & Barrel Real Simple Magazine & Crate&Barrel Wedding Guide Spring 2008

elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

real simple bridal event elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

wedding florals elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

friedman kern wedding elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

zuk lee wedding Statan Island Botanical Gardens

elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem

makem boucher wedding Dover, New Hampshire

elaine@makem.com

elaine@makem.com

Elaine Scherer-Makem 47 Pearl Street Amesbury, MA 01913 978.376.4196