Jessica Kruse
As a seasoned business owner with over 32 years of experience, I am passionate about curating and delivering exceptional retail and wholesale experiences that celebrate global design and craftsmanship. I oversee every aspect of my business, from sourcing and buying to merchandising, inventory management, and sales strategy, ensuring seamless execution and sustained growth. My expertise spans both retail and wholesale, including leading and mentoring sales teams, advising clients on marketing and branding strategies, conducting in-depth market research, and organizing in-store events and trade shows. I have a proven track record of scaling brands from startup to multimillion-dollar businesses, collaborating with designers on product development, and strategically engaging buyers across diverse markets. With a strong foundation in wholesale distribution, I have built and maintained relationships with key retailers and buyers, driving expansion into new territories and optimizing sales channels. Continuously seeking new opportunities, I am eager to expand my portfolio, explore emerging market trends, and forge valuable connections in the ever-evolving retail and wholesale landscape.
In my current role, I am accountable for ensuring seamless execution of tasks and driving consistent business growth through end-to-end management of all retail activities, including buying, merchandising, and inventory management. The achievement from this role have include the following: • Conducted in-depth research of designers to put together diverse selection of difficult-to-find clothing, accessories, home, and beauty companies from around the world."
At Addison Crescent Showroom, I headed overall operations of 10+ brands to accomplish targeted business objectives. I trained and mentored sales staff, enhancing their skills and performance. I organized and coordinated in-store events for majors. I attended all trade shows with participating brands. Moreover, I analyzed majors' sell through and assisted with swaps on slow sellers to increase profitability. A small selection of the highlights of this role includes: • Succeeded in building new brands from start up to multimillion dollar companies. • Accelerated sales growth by supporting designers with development and implementation of merchandising plans and collaborating on design choices. • Strategically targeted buyers from extensive account list consisting of 500+ global potential clients, including all major department stores and specialty boutiques."
My tenure as a director of sales enabled me to improve business growth by leading and motivating sales team. I assisted with merchandising the collection from the runway to the sales. I contributed to the selection of fabrics, color palettes, and styling for each collection. I also attended trade shows and coordinated all trunk shows. The contribution from this role was: • Successfully built the wholesale business from zero to a multimillion-dollar business.