Laura's First Week

Day one was an eventful one - the other interns and I arrived at Belk in Crabtree around 10 a.m., to be welcomed by Cynthia and the Ralph Lauren sales associates. Everyone was very nice, and Cynthia got down to business by going over the numbers from the previous day and week. She explained how they compare their sales to other stores, especially the SouthPark store in Charlotte due to the tight competition.

After we were filled in on all the numbers, she showed us the important stock rooms  that was stocked with merchandise for various purposes. It was interesting to see these secret closets that I would have never noticed as a customer simply shopping in these departments. There were many BSR items (which I learned quickly meant “Basic Stock Replenishment, makes sense), so that the customer wouldn’t have to wait very long to get those items if they weren’t on the floor.

Cynthia explained how sometimes after a large weekend - or just any weekend in general - the stores may be in a bit of a chaotic state, so we helped re-arrange some areas and eventually tackled the mesh wall. I never would have imagined that so much thought goes into placing polo shirts in shelves on a wall. I should have known better with my visual merchandising experience, but I quickly learned how to “jellybean” the shirts by placing different colors (complementary, however) beside each other and perfecting all the folds. 

Another interesting highlight was when Cynthia showed us the standards for the displays. Since we just had the opportunity to visit the Greensboro distribution facilities, we got a sneak peek at the showroom where they create these universal displays that are to be followed. She showed us the photos and we re-arranged The Head of the Charles merchandise to mimic the pictures as closely as possible. She noted that sometimes it is necessary to alter them a bit depending on the region (i.e. since we are in the South, it is much hotter, so we should use lighter colors where we can).

I should have taken a picture of the mesh wall to really illustrate that part of the post, but I’ll be sure to take a photo of the next eventful instance. Overall, I really enjoyed getting my behind-the-scenes view of everything on the first day, and I can’t wait to continue week one!