Kimberley Wood

Responsible for delivering high-quality imagery for use online and in the mail order catalogue. I made substantial improvements to the photography workflow increasing the efficiency and opportunities to offer more product views to the customers. I implemented additional cost-saving exercises including a review of our clipping service provider which resulted in reducing our costs in this area by a third. I optimised the model photoshoot days to allow more shots to be taken in a day, significantly reducing the costs and increasing the number of images achieved. I undertook a review of the company branding and implemented the new logo and style across all aspects of printed and digital communication. I adopted new skills in image retouching, photography and digital marketing.

Working on a self-employed basis I provided design based services: re-branding, catalogue design, photography, and styling for a variety of clients including Eternal Collection, The House of Bruar, East Perthshire Arts and The Aberdeen Angus Society. Previous to this whilst still employed on an independent basis, I was in charge of delivering The House of Bruar Mail Order Catalogue for 3 years. Reporting to the Managing Director I was responsible for all aspects of their Mail Order Catalogue and in the 3 years I was in charge, the scope increased from 152 pages/1.2 million print run to 550 pages/2 million print run. This complex project required meticulous planning, exception problem-solving skills and relentless attention-to-detail to manage it's successful, timely delivery. During this time I managed an extensive and varied team of in-house contributors and external agencies, co-ordinating all roles and skills to meet ambitious, critical deadlines.

Reporting to the Head Buyer I achieved excellent year on year increases in the menswear department sales, outperforming all other departments, which led to the expansion of a stunning new 22,000 sq ft menswear department. Responsibilities included:- ∙ Range planning, product selection at trade shows and administering subsequent buying, building strong business relationships. ∙ Worked with the Chairman on product reviews and selection process. ∙ Monitoring margins and pricing strategy, negotiating favourable cost prices, and trading terms with suppliers. ∙ Delivered training sessions for shop floor staff with a focus on excellent customer service and product knowledge. ∙ Created and implemented the merchandise and distribution plan and managed stock clearance. ∙ Managed merchandising plans and store moves to optimise and enhance the customer experience. ∙ Key contributor in the planning for the new menswear extension. ∙ Optimising stock levels for maximum sales and profit and identifying new opportunities. In addition to my initial menswear buyer duties, I subsequently went on to be in charge of product development for The House of Bruar’s own-brand knitwear, working closely with suppliers in China and Europe to develop luxury ranges as well as taking responsibility for the merchandising of the new Sale Shop. I also designed and co-ordinated the production of the mail order sale catalogue and became responsible for creating all print advertising.

With a major focus on innovation, one of the key aspects of my role was to manage a team of Heriot-Watt University student interns, teaching them machine knitting skills and developing briefs for work programmes. I managed the creation of seasonal trend concepts, knitted fabric and garment solutions as part of marketing tools for international clients. The visual trend, technical and contact information targeted spinners and knitters to develop major production programmes with important retailers. I was responsible for the creation and subsequent upkeep of the company’s first website included up-dating visuals and blog posts. I worked with publications such as the International Textiles magazine and International Colour Authority to create visual trend features and I also managed and populated an online database to record technical information for each fabric sample produced.