Dimitra Kaklamanos
Markham,ON
Summary
Results-driven category management professional with strong background in developing and implementing successful strategies, forging strong vendor partnerships. Highly skilled in market analysis, vendor negotiations, inventory planning, assortment planning, demand forecasting and procurement.
Known as an innovative and inspirational leader that has built customer centric-teams and collaborative relationships with all stakeholders. Proven track record of optimizing product assortments and driving revenue growth. Brings positive attitude and commitment to continuous learning and growth.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Category Manager Technology
Staples Canada
09.2023 - Current
- Responsible for the strategic direction and performance of Technology managed categories: Mobility, Mobile Accessories, Tablets, Tablet Accessories, Wearables Smartwatches, Fitness Trackers to maximize sales across 298 stores and e-commerce channels. Exceeded $75M in revenue, achieving 9% (+$5.3M) in sales growth YTD, while gaining YoY market share.
- Defined category plans, conduct line reviews to plan sku optimal mix and conducted comprehensive market analysis to identify trends and adjust product offerings accordingly.
- Negotiated favorable contract terms by leveraging vendor management expertise, resulting in improved product margins and enhanced supplier negotiations.
- Developed and maintained enhanced supplier relationships through regular communication problem-solving efforts.
- Collaborated with cross functional teams including product development, marketing, operations, tech services, finance and supply chain.
- Managed lifecycle planning of hardware, and their accessories by maximizing category turnover through proactive management strategies by formulating inventory plans, to increase turnover and mitigate business risk.
- Drove further category growth through strategic alignment with impulse off shelf opportunities to drive Amazon returns conversion basket attach with mobile accessories, mobile power, off shelf shippers adjacent to Bell Kiosks in stores to attach to carrier hardware
- Led cross-functional project teams in the launch of new product lines, new and improved merchandising concepts, to enhance customer journey, build basket attach resulting in successful category expansion efforts i.e, Samsung, Google Pixel eco-system tables. Negotiated and acquired $1M+ in vendor funding investments for tech reflow retail store merchandising improvements.
- Developed strategic marketing plans/social media campaigns to execute on budgeted vendor MDF spend to support business growth objectives
- Managed monthly forecast review and promotional planning
- Worked in synergy with our Bell cross functional partners to ensure we're assorting hardware mobile accessories that align with their carrier assortment to build customer attach.
- Acquired net new innovation business and brands i.e, reMarkable writing tablet to support C-Suite BTC/BTB consumer and Anker #1 global mobile power brand
- Led and mentored my Category Specialist team in category management best practices, contributing to a high-performing and collaborative work environment.
- Monitored industry trends to identify new business opportunities and emerging product categories for expansion.
- Attended industry related trade shows CES
Category Manager - School and Art Supplies
Staples Canada
01.2021 - 09.2023
- Managed a diverse portfolio of products $36M+, ensuring optimal mix between high-margin items and cost effective options for our customers.
- Increased overall category sales by developing and executing strategic merchandising plans. Grew market share in hyper-growth segments building sets Lego, arts and craft kits Crayola, games and puzzles, art markers, colouring supplies, Cricut.
- Established, initiated and optimized business development strategies based on company targets, sku optimization, competitive market, market data, and budget factors.
- Maximized category revenue by responding to current sales trends and deploying strategic initiatives; created product assortment strategy and collaborated with my team and product development team on product assortment; monitored and analyzed competitive landscape for potential product opportunities. Created and maintained financial plans, monthly forecasting.
- Took the lead to develop strategic initiative, get buy in from all stakeholders to launch Staples Kids Learn + Play with the support of cross functional partners in expanding the Learning and Education category by $1.5M+ in it's first year. Staples Kids Learn Play concept is rolling out to all stores.
- Staples Canada won the 2024 Retail Council of Canada Award for best in-store merchandising for Staples Kids Learn + Play concept.
- Conducted market research to identify new opportunities and target markets to test Staples Kids concept i.e, Ottawa, Alberta, Ontario
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop promotional campaigns that effectively increased category awareness and sales growth.
- Researched, prepared for and led supplier negotiation process for managed category.
- Negotiated and established the onboarding of several net new strategic vendors partners to support Denis Supreme integration as well as support the expansion of brands to support Staples Kids assortment strategy i.e, strategic vendor partner the LEGO Group
- Spearheaded new product introduction and launched Cricut that drove category growth of $3.8M +18% in incremental revenue (2022-2023)
- Effectively executed to plan with all cross functional partners support new digital brand shops for Cricut, Crayola, Staedlter, Prismacolour, including a brand new e-commerce hierarchy Staples Kids, with negotiated funding I had secured from vendor community
- Instrumental in launching Staples first ever Staples Kids Holiday Gift guide 2023, building and securing vendor funding within a 4 month period.
- Pioneered brand ambassador New at Staples social marketing campaign for Staples Kids, Cricut, Art Supplies
- Launched successful digital marketing campaigns, Spotlight Events, in-store activation Staples Kids events with the support of cross functional partners. This increased store and e-commerce traffic conversion.
- Reduced inventory costs through effective vendor negotiations and optimizing product assortments.
- Attended industry related trade shows NY Toy Fair, LA Toy Fair
Associate Category Manager
Staples Canada
03.2020 - 01.2021
- Categories Managed, diverse sku dense portfolio of school and art supplies, toys, games and puzzles, STEAM all channel.
- Increased Arts and Craft Supplies +98% ($2.3M), Paint Supplies +52% ($633K), Games and Puzzles +180% ($326K), Toys 124% ($330K)
- Developed detailed sales forecasts based on historical data, allowing for proactive inventory management decisions.
- Partnered closely with space planning and store operations teams to ensure seamless execution of merchandising planogram, off-shelf endcaps, displayers, cash queues initiatives at retail locations nationwide.
- Implemented pricing strategies to maximize profitability while maintaining competitiveness in the marketplace.
- Enhanced category performance by analyzing sales data and implementing strategic merchandising plans.
- Developed off shelf quarterly plans, managed lifecycle planning of product to build a profitable program, mitigating liabilities.
- Enhanced supplier relationships through regular communication and collaborative problem-solving efforts.
- Worked with JM&A, product development team on building a robust own brand pencil case/pouch assortment under Simply, Pep Rally, General Supply, Gry Mttr, followed market trends to build on inspiration, form factors, textiles, mood boards.
- Negotiated one time buy opportunities for peak seasonally business BTS, holidays.
- Led and developed one direct report on best business practices, with a collaborative training and development approach to product assortment planning, line reviews, promo planning, and execution of marketing plans.
- Attended industry related trade shows NY Toy Fair
Category Specialist
Staples Canada
11.2018 - 03.2020
- Assisted Category Manager, to develop channel-relevant assortments for School and Art Supplies, Drafting Supplies and Pencil pouches leveraging solid analytics, industry trends and vendor/brand insights.
- Aided in executing merchandising plans for our first company transformation stores, launched Exclusive Crayola Pick A Stick program to all stores, garnished a lot of social media awareness.
- Managed assortment tracker, promo forecast tracker
- Proactively seeked out category insights from vendors, market share data, competitive shops.
- Onboarded and set up new SKUs by collecting all required content from vendor partners, looked for opportunities to onboard drop ship vendors, to drive endless aisle;
- Set and maintained pricing, ensuring it is in line with pricing policies and aligned strategies for the category.
- Worked collaboratively with cross functional partners, marketing, ecommerce team to plan marketing based promo planning activities
- Developed and helped negotiate funding for promotions, to drive optimal sales and margin.
- Proofed accuracy of flyer, digital promotions, marketing activities
- Planned off-shelf promotions, BTS shippers, centres, artist endcap, pencil box endcap, to coincide with retail promotional planner and seasonal spikes to achieve budgeted targets
- Provided support to any customer-facing associates as needed regarding special orders, damages, RTV’s and general category/vendor/brand inquiries, responding to all inquiries in a timely manner.
- Managed inventory replenishment to all stores
- Worked closely on a day to day basis to build and maintain strong partnerships with our vendors, conducted bi-weekly calls to review forecasts as compared to S/O
- Interacted with vendors, space planning and other stakeholders to maintain on-time deliveries
Category Specialist Technology
Staples Canada
05.2017 - 11.2018
- Categories managed, surge, cable management, gift cards, drones, smart home, STEAM, networking.
- Developed strong working relationships with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment on category objectives and initiatives.
- Conducted market and supplier research to enhance sourcing and negotiation strategies.
- Actively participated in relevant industry events, back to school or holiday symposiums or conferences, staying informed about current trends impacting assigned categories and the broader procurement landscape.
- Collaborated with Category Manager to develop pricing strategies that maximized profitability while remaining competitive in the market.
- Managed multiple categories simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery of products and services at optimal prices.
- Negotiated a $1M RTV on Drones with our vendor.
- Launched emerging tech categories, Drones, STEM (STEAM) educational technology.
- Analyzed sales and inventory data to determine purchasing needs and reorder points.
Co-Founder
Baby In Gear
04.2006 - 11.2016
- Co-Founder and manager of a specialty baby gear retail store with strong online presence.
- Responsible for buying, marketing, merchandising, hiring, training, coaching, vendor relations, scheduling, budget forecasts and profitability of the the company.
- Evaluated market trends to identify opportunities and inform strategic decision making.
- Developed innovative sales and marketing strategies to facilitate business expansion.
- Established foundational processes for business operations.
- Secured exclusive territory partnerships by establishing strong relationships with key industry players (i.e, Bugaboo, UPPAbaby, Baby Jogger, Baby Bjorn, Ergobaby, Nuna, Thule, Graco, Maxi Cosi, Skip Hop etc.,).
- Attended annual industry related trade shows (i.e, ABC Kids Expo, NY Toy Fair).
- Recruited, interviewed and hired new staff members and developed training materials with vendor partner support for employees.
- Devised and presented business plans and forecasts to board of directors.
- Established and maintained strong relationships with customers, vendors and strategic partners.
- We offered baby gift registry, furnishings, delivery + set up, car seat installation service, stroller gear tune ups, baby wearing and cloth diaper tutorials, parenting workshops with Professional speakers
- Communicated business performance, forecasts and strategies to investors and shareholders.
- Negotiated favorable terms with suppliers and vendors, significantly reducing operational expenses.
- Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
- Demonstrated strong organizational and time management skills while managing multiple projects.
- Championed a culture of innovation, encouraging creative problem-solving throughout the organization.
- Navigated complex legal requirements to ensure compliance with industry regulations while minimizing risk exposure for the business.
- Managed financial operations, ensuring fiscal responsibility and maintaining profitability during periods of economic uncertainty.
Marketing Analyst
Sears Canada
01.2000 - 03.2006
- Catalogue/ecommerce Marketing Analyst supporting Bed and Bath, Housewares division merchandising team in executing their marketing plans to generate ROI (2003-2006)
- Catalogue Marketing Merchandise Business Associate (2001-2003)
- Space planning/In-store Marketing Assistant to Project Manager (2000)
- Participated in ongoing internal professional development opportunities to stay current on best practices within the field of marketing analytics.
- Developed comprehensive marketing strategies for increased brand awareness and customer engagement.
Education
Early Childhood Education
Seneca College of Applied Arts And Technology
North York, ONSkills
- Account management
- Business development
- Strategic thinker
- Effective communicator
- Marketing strategy
- Sales strategy
- Contract negotiation
- Project management
- Team collaboration and leadership
- Proven track record of category growth, sales
- Budget forecasting
- Creative and innovative
Technical Skills
- MS Office
- Word
- Power Point
- Excel (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP)
- Power BI
- Mac OS
- AS400
- Circana
Accomplishments
- Achieved +1pt market share ($1.9M) Circana R12FY24 in Android Tablets through effectively executing promotional plans and managing inventory demand during peak seasons.
- Achieved +1.1pts market share ($1.3M) Circana R12FY24 in Cell Phone Cases; +0.7pts market share ($334K) in Screen Phone Protection
- Achieved +20% ($3.97M) in Samsung sales YTD by completing and executing our tech reflow eco-system merchandising strategy.
- Collaborated and negotiated $1M (100%) of vendor investment for tech reflow merchandising initiatives to support their brands, completed the project on time.
Staples Dynamic, Inspiring, Partner Award 2021
The Working and Learning Awards proudly recognize the outstanding efforts of Staples Canada and Staples Professional associates from all areas of the business who are inspiring people to work smarter, learn more and grow every day. I was recognized as a trailblazer for building the go to market strategy for Staples Kids. which will be rolled out to all stores 2025.
Timeline
Category Manager Technology
Staples Canada
09.2023 - Current
Category Manager - School and Art Supplies
Staples Canada
01.2021 - 09.2023
Associate Category Manager
Staples Canada
03.2020 - 01.2021
Category Specialist
Staples Canada
11.2018 - 03.2020
Category Specialist Technology
Staples Canada
05.2017 - 11.2018
Co-Founder
Baby In Gear
04.2006 - 11.2016
Marketing Analyst
Sears Canada
01.2000 - 03.2006
Early Childhood Education
Seneca College of Applied Arts And Technology
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