Annual Retail Summit

January 29, 2014

9:00 AM -2:00 PM

Florida State University Oglesby Union

Ballroom

Retail Summit featuring industry experts followed by a

networking lunch with students and retailers. Click the

link below to register:

https://fsu.qualtrics.com/SE/?

SID=SV_9Mi1wzMMGHReEe1

Semi-Annual Retail Focus Panel

January 30, 2014

Following the Career Fair at the

Donald L. Tucker Civic Center at 4:30 PM

Fall 2013

Florida State “Noles” Retailing and Product Development

2013 Retail Summit Keynote Speaker, Jacob Dabah, Director, O’Oscar Division

Oscar de la Renta-Panama

Save The Date

From the call center, to the executive 5th

floor of the tower; HSN prides itself on

being an excellent retail partner,

innovative merchandiser, and a fun

place to work. I started my internship on

October 14th with the buying and

merchandising team of Fine Jewelry.

Over the past five weeks I have been on

a whirlwind of fast paced meetings,

vendor negotiation conference calls,

team parties, a Halloween extravaganza,

and several systems training classes. The

most valuable opportunity I have had

during my internship is the ability to

work alongside some of the most

upbeat, energetic people I have ever

experienced. My time here at HSN has

been hectic and full of surprises. I have

thoroughly enjoyed all that I have

learned and can honestly say that after

interning here, I can succeed in any

corporate atmosphere and enjoy every

minute of the ride.

Interning at Kohl’s Department store

located in Orlando, Florida was my

second store management internship

with the company. I shadowed senior

management, which included daily

motivation and interaction with

associates as well as learning about the

continuous flow processes of running a

successful store. Working with such

captivating leaders, such as the store

manager and assistant managers, taught

me that understanding and trusting your

team creates a great environment and

keeps morale high. During the holidays,

our store received thousands of new

products each week and I enjoyed

merchandising new products. Being part

of the hiring and orientation process of

seasonal employees was a great

experience. The excitement of the

hustle and bustle of the holiday season

is definitely a trickle down effect from

the managers to the new associates

which makes for a very fun environment

at work.

Fall 2013 Internship Experiences

As a part of my final semester as a Retail, Merchandising and Product Development senior at FSU, I joined Starboard Cruise Services as the Retailing to Demographics Intern in the Merchandising, Planning and Distribution division. It has been an outstanding experience that shed light on a different form of merchandising. This internship has been more enjoyable because of its close relation to the RMPD curriculum including open-to-buy and product selection. My responsibilities included international comparison pricing, ranking brands' market shares and assisting in the development of merchandise plans for 2014. I was assigned a mentor, who works with Starboard as an allocator for the watch department and allowed me to shadow him during his daily duties such as communicating with retail managers aboard cruise ships and monitoring sales forecasts. Interning with Starboard has been an amazing experience that I hope will flourish into a retail merchandising career.

Trixia Valdez Kohl’s Department

Store

Eboni Major Starboard Cruise

Services

Kirsten Langley HSN

NYC RMPD Summer 2013 Study Trip

In May, twenty-two RMPD students participated in a four day New York City summer study trip planned and directed by Dr. Judy Miler, the RMPD Internship Director, and accompanied by Ann Langston, Director of The Retail Center. Two days were spent visiting a variety of fashion industry businesses from apparel brand manufacturers and retailers, to support services. Several RMPD Retail Center members, including Macy’s, Kohl’s, and Ross, hosted the visit. The students also visited internship partners Marie Claire, BCBG, Michael Kors, and Anthropologie.

In addition to experiencing the fashion industry in action, the group enjoyed the culture of the city by visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art and their new costume exhibit, “Punk: Chaos to Couture”. The students

attended the 2013 Tony award winning musical, “Kinky Boots“, enjoyed a wonderful Kosher deli lunch in the Garment District, a great traditional country French dinner, and saw the newest retailers while doing a little “retail therapy”. The students really enjoyed meeting potential internship and career companies, and for some it was their first visit to New York City, one of the fashion capitals of the world!

19th Annual RMPD Scholarship Dinner The 19th Annual Retail,

Merchandising and Product

Development Scholarship Dinner

was a great success! With over 260

students in attendance, each of

them had the opportunity to meet

over 50 retailers representing 19

diverse companies. Seniors had the

first opportunity to interact with

head retailers during the reception

preceding the dinner. By 6:00 PM,

the University Center Club was

filled with senior and junior

students, faculty, and executives

who were eager to eat, network,

and listen to what retail leaders in

the industry had to say. Thanks to

our wonderful sponsors, 37

outstanding students were

awarded with scholarships. Keynote

speaker Anne Martin-Vachon was

introduced by Sandy Soto, VP

Executive Talent Acquisition at HSN.

Martin-Vachon is the Chief

Merchandising Officer at HSN. She

spoke eloquently of how she got to

where she was today, along with

many references to her past and

present; Martin-Vachon provided

helpful advice to everyone in the

room on how to succeed in the

retail industry.

Overall, those in attendance to the

dinner found it rewarding and

enjoyed the networking

opportunities throughout the night.

The department and The Retail

Center look forward to seeing you at

next year’s Scholarship Dinner. Save

the date for September 17, 2014!

Shop.Org Convention

Patricio Richardson, Katherine Koehler,

and Austin Ciliberti.

By Patricio Richardson

My time at the National Retail

Federation’s Shop.org Convention in

Chicago was a one of a kind

experience. The event allowed

attendees to truly see the future of

retail. Two panels of guest speakers

from a variety of retailers on the first

day of the conference served as a

great introduction to the event. As

they spoke, there was an evident

theme throughout: the growing power

of e-commerce. After learning from

their insight, students were free to

network with all attendees. The

highlight of this period came in

speaking with HSNi CEO, Mindy

Grossman, and CMO, Bill Brand.

Speaking with two of retail’s major

players was a truly surreal experience.

The final day of the convention

consisted of listening to Tory Burch

executives speak about some of their

business philosophies and e-

commerce ideas. In hearing their

expertise, it was clear why Tory Burch

is such a successful business.

Attending the 2013 Shop.org

Convention was an experience I am so

proud to have been chosen to attend.

Beyond networking, Austin Ciliberti,

Katie Koehler, and I had the

opportunity of representing FSU and

showcasing our great RMPD major. “I was invited to be the keynote speaker at the 19th Annual Scholarship Dinner at FSU in September. What an honor, but even more special was meeting such a great group of very talented students. So much passion and energy! This is a terrific program that will undoubtedly produce a fine group of individuals ready to tackle the many opportunities that will present themselves as they en-ter into the workforce. I was thrilled to be part of this very special night.” - Anne Martin-Vachon, Chief Merchandising Officer at HSN

Upcoming Events

January 6, 2014 – Spring Semester Begins January 29, 2014 – Retail Summit Event January 30, 2014 – Spring Seminole Futures January 30, 2014 – Retail Focus Panel May 2-3, 2014 – Spring Commencement

For more information on becoming involved with The Retail Center or to

become a member please contact:

A n n L a n g s t o n

alangston@fsu.edu

850.644.3236 http://chs.fsu.edu/Centers-Institutes/The-Retail-

Center

Center Members

Retail Promotion and Branding Graduate Student Class Field Trip to Stein Mart

The Ray Greenly Scholarship Recipient

By Katherine Koehler

I am honored to be Florida State’s recipient of the Spring 2013 Ray M. Greenly Scholarship, presented by the National Retail Federation. The award is presented to those who show a passion for retail, forward thinking, and high scholastic achievement. Receiving the scholarship not only included financial support but also allowed me to attend the Shop.org Retail Summit this past October in Chicago. The 26 Scholarship recipients from throughout the country attended a special dinner and breakfast with the NRF Board, led by HSN CEO Mindy Grossman, and other retail industry leaders. I attended the Shop.org student program on upcoming technology, e-commerce, and the effects of social media on retail. I was also chosen to ask a question to a panel of CEOs. The student program offered many networking opportunities for students. During the regular program, I especially loved listening to keynote session from Tory Burch executives. Not only was this experience an inspiring view into the retail industry, but a wonderful learning experience and a fantastic trip to Chicago.