Tyler Henry’s Post

Check out these #fashionjobs

Opportunity

Often when you work as a merchandiser, you face challenges, but the biggest tends to be stability in employment. Having went from a full time role to a casual role almost 2 years ago, I learnt the hard way. Some of the advantages I had over others is I had a reasonable amount of leave entitlements paid out from a previous employer. One major disadvantage, I was not entitled to any form of government assistance. Although I had my own pride and dignity in tact, I had to live partially on savings for around 9 months. Working as a casual employee, I had uncertainty, which can be stressful. Some weeks were full on - up to 38 hours a week. But, with some merchandising companies, you do NOT get paid for travel time between sites- some of which were an hour away. I will say I did make some positive contacts when I worked strictly as a merchandiser and believe it or not, most employees from other merchandising companies will offer you advice and assistance because at the end of the day, we all wanted to deliver the best results for our clients and the business we represented. Finally, in a role like I worked in, given the uncertainty, I believe it could be considered reasonable to suggest, at least some team members in merchandising in all merchandising companies should employ staff on at least a part time basis (say 10 hours a week) to give some stability for applying for loans etc. This could also reduce staff turnover in these companies. I’m keen to hear the thoughts of other merchandisers both past and present on my ideas

Some more exciting news

Man, this is a bummer. I have a complicated relationship with Express that dates back to 2006. From a customer in high school who'd hit regular Structure/Express Men sales to becoming an employee both during and after college, it's the place where I really started to fall in love with clothes and fashion. For a long time, working at Express made it really easy to figure out what to wear to practically any event or occasion because I lived and breathed the brand. It was my entire closet! Express is also the place where I — as a post-recession college graduate who wanted to ride the "store management rocket ship" as a career — had my first experiences with professional burnout. Running a store is hard. Effectively managing a store in Independence Center in 2012? Even harder. I eventually moved on to a role that paid the same and didn't require long hours or a 45-minute commute. I tend not to shop at Express as much these days because I just don't have much of a compelling reason to. Maybe I've aged out of the brand. Or it could be that I work remotely and live in gym clothes. Working in retail is not for the faint of heart, but the sheer volume of skills it teaches (especially at the store management level) can and does prepare people for all manner of careers. If you're a hiring manager who has a retail professional's resume come across your desk, don't dismiss it out of hand. I promise those of us with that background can speak to all kinds of experiences. We can learn about and sell new products in a matter of weeks! We know how to overcome objections and make meaningful connections. We've worked as recruiters, business analysts, salespeople, and more. I hope the folks impacted by store closures and whatever downsizing occurs at the corporate level land on their feet. https://lnkd.in/g2sVP2n8

Circa 2006, working at S&K Menswear in college, and I can still tell you step-by-step the customer sales process of this store. My largest transaction was 23 items for over $2,000. As a $7.50/hr part-time employee, I can tell you my sales commissions were a heck of a lot more than most full-timers at the time. Repeatable processes equal repeatable results! In fact, I still have some of my printed sales records for breaking my sales records. For as long as I remember, repeatable processes and data analysis have been motivating. This job impacted my career. It was my first realization of the impact of effective marketing and customer service as a strategy - and I apply those fundamentals even now to #EventuateSuccess for my clients.

Maybe it's time to bring back the charm of Tupperware-style parties! Face-to-face interactions not only create community but also allow consumers to build personal relationships with the seller. It's more than just a sale—it's about connecting with people, sharing stories, and getting hands-on with the products. Plus, nothing beats the trust that comes from knowing who you’re buying from. Let’s make shopping social again, and maybe even a little more fun! 🥂🎉 #CommunityFirst #ThrowbackMarketing #PersonalTouch #BringBackTheParty P.S. Tupperware, if you are hiring, we're right here... P.P.S Maybe you need a line of Tupperwear.

What I learned working at the Gap. One of my first jobs was working at the retail clothing store. I started working there as a high school student. I would get off school, come home, change, and head out to catch the buses to get to the store. I would have to get two buses to arrive at my store in Chevy Chase, Maryland. 🚌 Working at the Gap taught many things. How to properly place and fold clothes. Have an eye for asthetics. I became a visual merchandiser. It is when you optimize the presentation of products and services to better highlight their features and benefits. The purpose is to attract, engage, and motivate the customer towards making a purchase and part of the responsibilities included dressing the mannequins and putting the appropriate displays inside the store and store windows. You want the customer to say, "Where can I get that outfit". I learned how to tastefully talk with customers without being too pushy. Asking how I can help, maybe they needed a different size, color, style. I became a better sales person by asking better questions. I became the #1 GAP card seller, the store brand credit card. I became more responsible. If I felt under the weather or went out the night before and had to open up the store early in the morning the next day I still had to show up on time. It did not matter how I felt, you have a commitment and you showed up. A smile and your enthusiasm goes a long way. You can transfer your energy to someone else. Do more. If something needed to be done, step up and take it on. I started in the stockroom in the back, and transitioned to the salesfloor in the front. I received several raises each year. At one point, I was the highest paid employee at the store besides the managers. I was at the GAP for 5 years. I started in high school and left during college. I was working full-time at the store and going to college full-time. They wanted me to become a manager but I passed because it came with additional responsibilities. At that time, I also had a internship at an investment bank and I was focusing my career efforts on this. I learned so much at the GAP and thankful for the opportunity. Retail will always have a soft spot in my heart. And now I represent retailers with their commercial real estate needs. ❤ #retail #GAP #CRE #commercialrealestate

Back in my 20s, I worked at Nordstrom. Started as a stock boy in downtown Portland, then moved up to working at Nordstrom Rack, and eventually became one of the top salespeople in ladies' shoes. By '99, I was raking in nearly $75k a year and chucking 15% of that into my 401k. We called ourselves "shoe dogs" because our job was to fetch whatever shoe the customer wanted fast. The quicker you moved, the more shoes you sold, the fatter your wallet got. I knew I had to sell over $5000 a day to keep winning. And even when returns hit us hard, making some days start in the negative, we didn’t get discouraged. We pushed harder. All of this was possible because of Bruce Nordstrom’s system. He was the big boss, started working in his family's shoe store when he was just nine, and climbed his way up to president by 30. Man loved his job and his family fiercely. Even though he's gone now, his work ethic lives on. I gave back too – helped my mom buy a house, and traveled a bit with Nordstrom, which eventually brought me to Las Vegas to open a new store. Opened a lot of doors for me in luxury retail. Here's the take: When life gives you a chance, you run with it. Work hard, save up, and push through the tough days. The reward? It’s more than just money. It's about opening doors to new opportunities and doing things you never thought possible. Keep moving, keep selling, and don't let setbacks stop you. That's how you win. #nordstrom #shoedogs #workhardplayhard #luxuryretail #opportunityknocks