2 minute read
Merchandising 101
with Ralph Lauren and Pottery Barn
RMI alumni Olivia Mannion and Natalie Elliot joined RMI to discuss their experiences working within the Merchandising industry. Mannion, Merchandising Operations Assistant at Ralph Lauren, and Natalie Elliot, Merchandising Analyst at Pottery Barn, shared advice and personal experiences within the industry with students hoping to pursue a career in Merchandising.
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The following questions were asked and discussed during the panel:
Q: What does a typical day as a merchant look like?
A- Mannion (Ralph Lauren): Once designers design clothing, Olivia is given slide decks with product information and enters it into the company ’ s system.
A- Elliot (Pottery Barn): Natalie is in charge of site management, changing home page imagery, and sitting in meetings with other merchants.
Olivia Mannion
Natalie Elliot
Merchandising Analyst at Pottery Barn
Q: What is something you wish you knew before going into merchandising?
A- Mannion (Ralph Lauren): Olivia wishes she knew there were different elements to each role, such as operations-timing, sizing, research and forecasting trends.
A- Elliot (Pottery Barn): Natalie wishes she knew how analytical digital merchandising actually is.
Q: What is one thing you learned in a class at SCU or one class you took that has been most helpful for you and your career?
A- Mannion (Ralph Lauren): Olivia said that everything she does for her job couldn 't have been taught in class, but is grateful for the soft skills she learned in class at SCU.
A- Elliot (Pottery Barn): Natalie expressed her appreciation for OMIS before entering the workforce post graduation.
Q: How do you compete with other applicants that specifically study merchandising?
A: Both Mannion and Elliott expressed the importance of expressing passion and showing interest in working in the industry. Interviewing skills and work experience are also extremely valued.
Q: What is your favorite part about living in NYC/SF? What has been the biggest challenge of moving to a new city for a career?
A- Mannion (Ralph Lauren): Olivia ’ s favorite part about being in NYC is the new environment and how much there is to do in the city.
A- Elliot (Pottery Barn): Favorite part of living in SF is the SCU community, but finds that the biggest challenge is the work-from-home environment that she has entered.
