Monday, June 29, 2015

StyleBox

As I returned home from New York City after living and working there for 6 months for my co-op, I felt hungry and eager to put my new found skills to work. I started looking around for jobs and the first place I went to I fell in love with and got hired right away. The boutique I work for is called Skirt. They have stores in Bryn Mawr, stone harbor and they are opening the third in Rittenhouse in the fall. The Bryn Mawr store runs a unique styling program called StyleBox. The program offers customers who may not have time to shop, or aren't good at styling outfits, the opportunity to have clothes specifically picked for them, shipped to their house! It's an amazing concept that is really starting to take off. I was hired to be a stylist for StyleBox and help grow and develop the program. 

I begin a StyleBox by reading the online submission "style profile" filled out by the applicant, which details their sizing, style, and any specific items they'd like to see in their box. After reviewing, I head on to the floor and begin pulling outfits that I think would suit the client, including shoes, accessories and jewelry. I then review the outfits and narrow it down to the best 4 or 5. After, I type up a pamphlet that organizes the clothing by outfits and I list the prices. I then scan the clothing out of inventory and I pack up the box and ship it out to the clients house! The client gets 5 days to try on the clothing, decide what they want to keep, and send the rest back. We charge them for whatever they keep and the rest is completely free. I am loving this job and learning more every day about styling and working with all types of different people looking for different things. 

Check out more about StyleBox if you get a chance! https://styleboxbyskirt.com

Training of New Hire Employees- what is the process…what was your training like.

Hello Everyone,

My name is Jember, I'm a third year business student minoring in retail. I currently work for Uniqlo, at the flagship store in center city Philadelphia. In this post I will discuss training of new hire employees, the process and personally what my training has been like thus far.

I started working at Uniqlo about a month and a half ago and caught on fairly quick. Formal training consisted of watching instructional videos about typical employee policy, some things that were not so typical were some cultural customs that were brought over from Japan, where the company originated. Things such as handing patrons items with both hands, whether it be items during transactions (the bag of their clothing, their receipt, their tag for the fitting room etc), we also do not point in any given direction when explaining things to patrons, we always use an open hand similar to directing traffic. Uniqlo has certain standards that we must uphold especially being that we are a flagship store, and the Philadelphia store happens to be ranked #1 in different categories of standard. So we personally have an extremely high standard for many aspects of the brand. New hire employees will learn/pick up on these things as you begin working.

As far as the specific process, after you complete the training videos and orientation you do a bit of shadowing of more seasoned associates when your supervisor wants you to learn specific tasks. There are
 many things you learn as the situation presents itself. I'm a month in and I still have questions that arise as I'm working, whether it be specific questions or requests from customers, there is always something new and certain things that our policy allows and sometimes doesn't allow is not always in the training videos because they are typically more situational.

In general the culture of Uniqlo is extremely friendly and I believe it is due to our diverse nature in employees and upper staff. Also and mainly because it is also a company that originated outside of the U.S. so with bringing the ideas and customs of Japan to Philadelphia, one has to have an open mind and be accepting of different cultures so that we can best represent that in our store and through our service. I have noticed that we typically have a lot of international customers that come in due to the international recognition and following that Uniqlo already has, and if not that Uniqlo is a very appealing store visually, for those who are not already familiar it's aesthetic draws them in. Below I have included two photos of the outside of the store (day and night) where you can see how visually appealing it is.




 Besides just aesthetic, Uniqlo goes above and beyond in quality and that is something that is known and attached to the brand worldwide. The quality exceeds just the clothing, it includes the service as well and shopping at Uniqlo is often referred to as an experience.

That is another big part of our training is adapting to the culture of providing an experience for customers. And it is mainly a ongoing theme of how we present ourselves as employees to the customer and how we treat the merchandise when handling it. We have an incredibly high standard of how merchandise should be folded, displayed and even how our 'point of purchase' items are assembled. There is a color order as well as a standard order, where the color of items are arranged in a particular way. As you are being tained  you learn these things as they come up and often, especially when closing the store, you must uphold these standards.  

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Shopping

When you think of Hawaii you don't normally think that it would be an amazing place to shop. But living here for over two months it has become my most favorite place to shop. Oahu has one of the biggest outdoor malls in the world, the Ala Moana Center. One of the San Lorenzo stores is located in this mall so I find myself there quite often. They have a ton of luxury stores that are constantly busy, but with my budget I think I will stick to the amazing Pac Sun store they have.

I also live right near Kalakaua Ave, which has tons of luxury stores for the tourists that are always flooding the area. I love walking down Kalakaua and looking at all of the amazing window displays. I also love that there is a surf shop on pretty much every corner. There are so many new designers and brands that I am learning about that I can't wait to bring back to Philly!



Kalakaua Ave

Monday, June 8, 2015

Transitions

As graduation is approaching in one week, a few transitions are happening. The first is that my sales associate position at Knit Wit is on a hold because of many factors, but mainly because this time of year has come to be very busy for me. I had my "last day" at the store and it was bittersweet because I love the people that I work with as well as working in retail. It has been such a great learning experience working for a store that has been in Philadelphia for 50 years. I learned about the Philly fashion community and made many connections along the way. I hope to have the time to work a few hours here and there during the summer.

The next transition for me is finding a full-time job to hopefully start come September. I have realized how small of a world it is that we live in because I had a phone interview with a woman who happened to be related to my current boss. I was told that "Philly is a small town" and this appears to be extremely true and I can't believe I am seeing it so early in my application process. There are a lot of questions and nerves when it comes to trying to decide what I want to do after graduation, but I am letting the transitions happen as they come and putting myself out there at the same time.

My goal is to work hard at networking, apply to jobs that I am interested in while remaining in Philly. I am excited to see what the future holds and I have faith in myself and my education that I'll end up where I need to be to get me on the right career path.

The Calm Before The Storm

Today I actually got a day off. It was extremely nice to have a day off to breathe and do something relaxing. I have today off because I have to work this Saturday for graduation. I will be working at the store managing the GM side of the floor. We also have another 50% clearance sale that starts this Thursday and lasts till Saturday. It is expected to be extremely crazy and hectic at the store. I'm already mentally preparing myself. This week is full of last minute details for graduation. We have loads of regalia to still ship out as well as preparing for the sale. This week is going to fly by. It's great to have a day off before the storm of this week and the end to graduation madness.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Merchandising

After taking the class Visual Merchandising last year as a junior, I have been drawn to the many different ways that stores and smaller boutiques merchandise their floor. It is different for each store and each set of products they are trying to sell. Being in New York City it is fun to see all of the amazing window displays that lure customers in on the streets. More than window displays, I love to see how stores merchandise their products inside the stores. Some are very simple and some are very complex. Some stores organize their items by color and some organize by product category.

It is interesting to see how stores organize their products to guide the customer throughout the store. After being in my Visual Merchandising class I have noticed more now what techniques I think work the best and which ones are not as successful. One of my favorite stores to visit in NYC is called Opening Ceremony. The way they merchandise there store is so different and fun. There visuals are very unique and intriguing. Many other stores do not pay as close attention to detail and really tell a story throughout their store as well as Opening Ceremony does.


Food in the City

While living in Philadelphia at Drexel University, I have been able to try many different kinds of amazing food. Philadelphia is known as a city with great many varieties of food. Since being in New York City I have made it my mission to try as many different kinds of food places as possible. New York City more so than Philadelphia is known for it's food options. As I am a girl who loves to eat and try new things, before moving to the city I followed multiple food bloggers from NYC to see where the trendy good places to eat are. I compiled a list and have made it my mission to try as many places as I can. While I do cook a lot of my own meals and like to pack my own lunches often, it is fun to explore new food avenues and tastes.

Some of my favorite food is Italian and Mexican food, but while walking down the streets of New York it is hard not to notice all of the many different kinds of food there really is in the city. I have tried many different kinds of food like Indian, Cuban, Greek and many more. Although I have tried exotic foods and restaraunts some of my favorites have been the pizza, bagels, and sweets even though they are more generic! Some of my pictures below are from meals I have had while being in the city. 






Sample Sales!

One of the best parts about living in New York City is the fashion. You can find so many amazing independent unique boutiques and also many amazing designers that we do not have access to in Philadelphia. While I love so many designers that I have visited in New York City, my college budget does not agree with some of their prices. One good thing I have come across while living and working in the fashion industry in New York City are sample sales.

Even if you just Google “sample sales in NYC” you can find tons of websites that have lists of all of the sample sales, addresses, and hours for that month. One website that I have found very helpful is racked.com. You can sign up for the website with your email address so they email you when a new sample sale is happening. They also have representatives that go to each sample sale and report on them, giving you updates on prices sizes, and the line from the morning, afternoon, or evening. This is a good way to get your favorites designers clothing, shoes, and accessories for 50-90% off!


I recently went to the Philip Lim sample sale which was located in SoHo. The prices were tremendously marked down with all shoes at $100.00, and bags were priced at $450.00 at the highest. The only bad thing about these sample sales is the long lines to get in. Especially with popular designers, sometimes the wait in the line can be very long. Also when you get into the sale there is a lot of people in a rush. Everyone is digging through the racks to find the best deals and their size. It is a fun experience if you really want to get a good deal! It is so awesome to get these products from the designers that we love at such a discounted price!

Shoes I got from the Philip Lim Sample Sale

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Secret Shopper Program

As part of my job responsibilities  I am in charge of the Secret Shopper Program. I post on various job websites and then pick the best resumes and call the candidates. The Secret Shoppers are required to go to our four San Lorenzo stores in Oahu and judge the overall customer service, layout, and cleanliness of the store. We send them a questionnaire that they look over before going into the store and then they fill it out and send it over to me when they are finished.

We try to schedule the Secret Shoppers to go as often as possible so that every employee can get Secret Shopped six times a month. Not only do I interview and schedule the Secret Shoppers for the Oahu stores, but I also do the same for our Maui store and our two stores in California. I give all the finished questionnaires to my boss where she goes over them with each store manager. If a sales associate gets a great Secret Shopper review they can get an incentive in their next pay period. I really like organizing this program because I get to interact with a lot of different people and see what customers truly think of our stores when they shop there.
San Lorenzo, Pucks Alley 

Friday, June 5, 2015

Arrivederci amici!

Tuesday June 2nd was Italian National Day, which we celebrated at Drexel. We rented out one of the large rooms in the new LeBow building to host the event. There was amazing food and a lot of people. The event was invite only, because we were also presenting the Consular Awards, which is an annual award for community leaders selected by the Consul. President John Fry was the honoree last year.


Here you can see my banner in action and the awards which I designed the frame and layout.

This year I had the responsibility of making/ordering the frames for the recipients. It was quite a long and daunting process, but I am happy with how they turned out. I had to help set up for the event, take pictures, and help with take down. Everyone seemed to have a very nice time and I met a lot of lovely people.  It was quite a chaotic event because we were also shooting a promotional video for Ciao Philadelphia, so we had to pull guests aside for interviews. Even though it seemed really stressful everything went as planned.

Unfortunately, this will be my last contribution to the blog! I will be taking 2 classes I need for graduation over summer term, so I don’t have the room in my schedule. I look forward to seeing where my co-op will take me and wish everyone good luck in the rest of their co-op experience!

Ciao!

-Emily

Thursday, June 4, 2015

8 Days...

Graduation is fast approaching. It is both terrifying and thrilling. I am scared because I feel like the real world is just there; waiting for me, ready to consume me. I feel as though I may be absorbed into society and won’t have a voice anymore. I am worried that I won’t matter, and that I will become a small dot in this large world. When talking to fellow friends that are graduating, they say, “we were scared for college and we were fine, and the workforce will be the same way.” However, the real world is forever, and that’s what terrifies me the most. 


I also feel that my brain will just stop working… As silly as that sounds I don’t want to stop learning. I am planning on moving to New York in August and with 
that step, I plan on taking non-credit courses at the 
Fashion Institute of Technology so that I can keep my 
brain fresh. 

As the 8 days count down I have started to prepare for 
graduation including bedazzling my cap… and its all 
sparkles for me!


Hawaii


This past week I was fortunate enough to travel to Hawaii to visit my best friend Sam who is interning there for the first three months of her Co-op with San Lorenzo bikinis. One good thing about Drexel is all of the amazing people you meet who have opportunities like this that you can share in as well. I remember when Sam told me that she was offered this internship I was so excited for her because I knew it would be perfect for her. I also knew that I would definitely be visiting her if she did take the job!

It was great that my Co-op let me take time off as well for personal vacation. During my week in Hawaii Sam and I were able to complete many tourist adventures that she is unable to do with the locals that she works with! We went to many famous beaches and sites. One beach we went to was called Lanakai. At this beach we kayaked about a half a mile to small islands that are private beaches. We also hiked Diamond Head Mountain which was a little over two miles! 

It was an amazing experience to be able to visit my best friend from Drexel and support her during her internship. She also plans to visit me in NYC when she returns to the main land. Some pictures below are from my trip with her!


Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Thanks and See You Later



I really wasn't sure what I was getting myself into when I volunteered to commute 3 days a week for a total of 12 hours weekly on a bus to New York while taking full-time classes, and try to juggle being in a sorority, but it has been so beyond worth it. Friday will mark my last day commuting into New York to work at Lividini & Co and while I will not miss 4:30 a.m. alarms and long bus rides, I will greatly miss getting to walk into such a friendly and encouraging work environment and getting to take part in an industry I am so passionate about. Lividini has taught me so much about myself and what I want to do, as well as how to work with others and many technical skills, and has grown my love for New York City. I would recommend this insanity to anyone who is passionate and determined enough to take it on. 

I am so pleased to say I will be returning to Lividini & Co for my fall/winter co-op in September and so even though I will miss it so much this summer, I'm already counting down the days until I'm back!

To all my supervisors and co-workers: I deeply appreciate your continued efforts to make sure I'm learning and growing and to have such encouragement at my first internship has been such a gift! Thank you for your patience, wisdom and advice. This has been the best experience! I really can't thank each of you enough.



Some of the L&Co team!



Windows

At San Lorenzo the window displays get changed every season, the outfits on the mannequins updating every three days. At each store there is a Store Manager, an Inventory Manager, and a Merchandising Marketing Manager, who does the window displays. At our busiest store location in the Alamoana Center there is currently no Merchandising Marketing Manger. So the window display responsibility falls on my boss, which then falls on me. I was super excited about this opportunity and felt I was well prepared because I already took Visual Merchandising.

The window theme that was chosen for summer was a nautical theme. I began Pinteresting ideas and once I was confident in them presented them to my boss. To my pleasure she loved the ideas and we began working immediately. We had a budget of $200 and really had to plan everything out. My boss was very impressed with my skills and I felt that proud that I knew so much about windows from Visual Merchandising. We went with the idea of wrapping rope around wire to spell out San Lorenzo. We watched tutorials on how to macramé and learned the proper way to dip dye fringe. I am extremely happy with the outcome of the project and was super excited to see my ideas come to life.






Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Being a Tourist for the Week

This past week I was super excited to have my best friend Morghan come visit me in Hawaii. Although I had to work three days out of the week my boss gave me Memorial Day off as well as a half-day on Thursday so I could spend time with her. We spent the week going to different beaches on the Island. We even kayaked a half-mile off of Lanakai Beach to the Mokupu Islands.

We also went to different restaurants each night and spent part of the day shopping at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet and in Waikiki. On Friday we hiked the Diamond Head Mountain and then spent the rest of the day at the exclusive Kahala Beach. At night we went to the local bars and clubs. Morghan liked Hawaii so much that she changed her flight and extended it for two more days. I was happy to have a good friend here and be able to explore Hawaii. Working two jobs keeps me extremely busy and I felt as though I haven’t been able to see too much yet. Having Morghan here was a nice break from work and a great experience for us to be able to see a new place together.



Hiking Diamond Head 

Relaxing on Kahala Beach 

Photo Shoot Samples

Monday I worked on getting samples together to pass off to the marketing team to for photoshoot. I love putting outfits together for this and then being able to see the finished product. We have to get samples for photoshoots before the actual production sample is complete which always makes things a bit tricky. A month or so before I need samples I have to request that the vendor sends us a sample based on wherever they are in the production process. Sometimes this means that the samples are not completely finished and are still being finely tuned. Once we receive the samples (which can take some serious nagging to the vendors) we put outfits together. They then get passed to the team to be photographed and edited and then to marketing to create the finished ads.

Bikinis to Tuxedos

Hawaii, specifically Honolulu, is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Unfortunately, my internship is unpaid which means I needed to get a second job to have money for living expenses. I work at San Lorenzo from 9:30am to 5:00pm Monday thru Thursday. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays you can find me in a tuxedo. This is because I work on the waitstaff at Creations in Catering. 

At Creations I have been able to work sorority luncheons, Samoan Weddings, and company parties. I spend my weekends busing and watering down tables and folding napkins. Even though this job is very different than my job at San Lorenzo it teaches me a lot about customer service and how to deal with different people. Although not the most glamorous job it is much needed money and something to learn from. 

Monday, June 1, 2015

Almost Half Way There

I can't believe the half way mark of co-op is already fast approaching. I was reminded of this half way point because my bosses are scheduling interviews for the next co-op student to take my place. I can't believe they're already interviewing for the new co-op. It seems like just yesterday I was nervously waiting outside the office for my interview. It's also a great time to reflect on all I've learned so far in my co-op. I can't believe in these past few months I've learned so much. I can answer almost all questions that managers would often deal with. I can make final decisions that are supported by my bosses. I can express my feelings and opinions on certain ideas and I have some
facts to back up my opinion. Most of all I can't believe how well rounded my co-op expirence has been. I came into this co-op believing that I would mostly just be dealing with the buying aspect. I had no idea how much visual merchandising expirence I would get to have as well. I used to think that I didn't like visual merchandising or that I wasn't good at it, but to my surprise I really like visual merchandising! I even think I'm pretty decent at it. I can't wait to further my experience in the next half of co-op.

#styledbyknitwit

Knit Wit began a social media campaign called #styledbyknitwit, which is a way to get the sales associates/stylists involved on Instagram! I had so much fun picking out my favorite pieces from the store to style together for a little photo shoot by our social media intern, Claire.

There are always items in the store that I have my eye on, so it was exciting to be able to put them on and express my personal style. I think that it's important for a sales associate to be able to put looks together because it enables us to tell the customers about how certain things fit as well as what looks good together. Many customers come into the store looking to buy an entire outfit. This becomes an easier task when we have previously put looks together ourselves and we can even show the customer a picture of what it looks like all together.

#styledbyknitwit is also a way for customers to gain trust in the stylists at the store! If they see successful outfits being made and posted online, they will trust that we know what we are talking about which will lead to a better customer-employee relationship.

Below are images from my style sessions!