Karishma Shahani

As In-Charge of the Twickenham Oxfam store in London, I identified high value goods coming into the store as part of charity and achieved maximum sale value to enhance Y-o-Y revenue. Accountable for increasing shop floor & online sales, I oversaw recruitment of specialized volunteers as team members and enhanced visual merchandising of the store. By playing a pivotal role in ensuring customer satisfaction, I enabled accrual of annual sales worth thousands of £ in the said financial year with a Y-o-Y increment of 20%. Some of my significant accomplishments were:​ 🔹 Formulated a seamless backlog clearing system in collaboration with strategic stakeholders; delegated tasks to instill ownership and accountability among members of varied teams, tracked and ensured consistent turnaround of stock, and revamped pricing strategies to increase sales of slow moving products. 🔹 Identified gaps in movement of goods and developed a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) model to regulate turnaround of stock; trained the team to fasten flow of goods by proactively updating customers about the history of a garment or curio. 🔹 Achieved high value daily sales during festive, peak months of November & December; prioritized festive-themed stock, motivated team members, and deftly handled double footfall as a team. 🔹 Rendered training to team members in congruence with UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules and regulations; emphasized diligence in usage of Assemble – an inhouse software, maintaining updated information, and procuring training modules in a timely manner. 🔹 Strategized to categorize goods as per channel of sales; compartmentalized targets between shop floor & online sales, balanced high-value & visually attractive merchandise, and ensured regular update of stock. 🔹 Participated in annual audits with key focus on ensuring adherence to regulatory norms, risk mitigation, zero discrepancy, and avoidance of financial as well as reputational penalties.

In this role, I supported the charity organization that aimed to combine fashion with a purpose, operate several stores in Central London. Overseeing merchandising, categorizing luxury & non-luxury brands, formulating pricing & sales strategies, and tracking KPIs constituted my primary KRAs. I led matrixed teams of volunteers to ensure seamless functioning of 6 stores, with the primary goal of attaining revenue targets. Here, I was additionally tasked to handle Brompton Road and Victoria stores – high-pressure outlets, for several months. Some of my significant accomplishments were:​ 🔹 Identified and delegated tasks to the team while encouraging independence and ownership; helped the team identify high value goods, develop pricing strategies, and increase outflow to positively impact revenue figures. 🔹 Coordinated between staff of all the stores to ensure consistent messaging, service, and customer engagement; went above & beyond to address complaints, if any, and maintained a calm demeanor while dealing with irate customers. 🔹 Regularly tracked KPIs, identified & address gaps, and constantly motivated the team to attain performance standards; played a pivotal role in establishing a positive and collaborative work environment.

I instituted and managed the handbags and accessories startup with the primary goals of catering to target audience, expanding market reach, and establishing Princesse K as a niche, luxury brand. After testing the waters, I subsequently transitioned from B2C to B2B model comprising of corporate manufacturing of Gifts With Purchases (GWP) for various beauty brands in India, especially the Estee Lauder conglomerate. Being recognized by PETA India as the ‘Best Vegan Company for Handbags’, 2013 was a commendable feat for the newly established brand. 🔹 Key Accounts & PoS across India, USA, UAE, Singapore, and Finland: Ensemble | Amethyst | Pernias | Estee Lauder | Wella | Smashbox | Bobbi Brown | Clinique | Sephora 🔹 Noteworthy Accolades: Brand featured on Vogue US website | Associated with ELCA as a preferred partner | Participated in the Lakme India Fashion Week, 2014. I managed PR activities based on legacy marketing models – more challenging than the existing, digital ones; brand garnered immense recognition through Bollywood celebrities and being featured in established fashion magazines like Vogue USA, New York Post, Vogue India, Grazia, Cosmopolitan, and Harper's Bazar, among others. I also focused on increasing the Points of Sale while consistently improving sales across all the stores. I functioned as the ‘face of the brand’ while liaising with varied stakeholders and significantly impacted the bottom-line by capitalizing on B2B sales.