Riaz Syed Ismail
[email protected]
M: +971 55 6459508
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Education:
Diploma in – PGDCA
Certificate course in Microsoft Office
Certificate of NIFT (National Institute Fashion Technology)
Typewriting Higher _________________________________________________________________________
More than a decade of experience in Merchandising, Product Development, Planning, Trend analysis, Forecasting, Sourcing, Supplier Management, Pricing n Negotiation, Buying, Brand Management & Coordination in Furniture n Homeware Industry.
Work Experiences:-

Sr. Purchase Manager Furniture & Housewares
Company Name: Goldway Int’l Trdg FZCO –
Dates Employed – AUG 2015 to Present…
Employment Duration 3 years
Location Dubai – UAE

• SNAPSHOT
Proficient at analyzing Market Trends to provide critical inputs & formulating Marketing Strategies.
Define Targets & Budgets & preparing budgets for category & department
Forecasting sales levels for ensuring satisfactory Net Working Capital
Planning & presenting Range, Product Selection & Development and Season Plan.
Reviewing New Collection and Costing Negotiations
Control stock management and minimizing stock loss.
Budgeting & planning OTB’s, fast & slow moving styles..
Exceeding performance targets ensuring profitability.
Ensure consistent and measurable standards
Ensure Management by Objectives process.
Benchmarking Price Points against Competition.
Determining Pricing & Promotion techniques.
Frequent market visit to review operational standard
Monitoring and analyzing business performance vis business goals.

• CORE COMPETENCIES
Sales & Marketing
developing marketing strategies.
Evaluating marketing budgets
providing direction to execute promotions/ launches.
Building brand focus
Ensuring maximum brand visibility and capture optimum market shares.
Driving and leading the team.

Key Account Management
Initiating & developing relationships
Understanding client’s requirements & providing quality services.
Identifying prospective clients, generating business
Evolving market segmentation & penetration strategies

Channel Management
Identifying potential customers
Evaluating performance & monitoring
Implementing effective strategies
Managing change and driving new initiative

Client Servicing
Assessing feedback, evaluating areas of improvements
Maintaining excellent professional relations
Handling customer centric operations

Team Management
Leading, mentoring & monitoring performance of the team

Managing Departments:-
Furniture – Bedroom, Sofa, Dining, out door, Chairs, children Bedroom etc,
Homeware: – Bedding, Table linen, Carpets, Lighting, Bathroom, Kitchen Utensil, Crockery, Floral Arrangement’s, Home Décor, Garden, Plastic products etc.,
​ Accomplishments
Determine the accent furniture and missing groups and sub group level.

​ Skilled used
Budget, Vendor Management, Inventory, Sourcing, Marketing
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Sr. Furniture Buyer
Company Name: Royal Furniture Group
Dates Employed – MAR 2014 to AUG 2015
Employed Duration – 1 year 5 Months
Location – Ajman UAE

Associated with biggest giant of UAE Retail group.
Developing marketing strategies to build consumer preferences.
Evaluating marketing budgets by planning initiatives & ensure adherence to planned expenses.
Understanding the client’s requirements & providing quality services.
Evaluating performance & monitoring customer’s sales and marketing activities.
Initiating & developing relationships with key decision makers in target organizations.
Implementing effective strategies to maximize sales and accomplishment of targets.
Managing change and driving new initiative in line with strategic plan set.
Driving and leading the team to achieve targets and goals given by the company.
Leading, mentoring & monitoring performance of the team.

Responsibilities
Establishing departments, group and sub group level. Sourcing accordingly across the globe.
Managed Departments
Furniture – Bedroom, Sofa, Dining sets, Out door, Chairs, children Bedroom etc.,
Household: – Bedding, Table linen, Carpets, Bathroom, Kitchen Utensil, Crockery, Floral Arrangement’s, Home Décor, Garden, Plastic products,
Accomplishments
Introduced variety of new collection which was missing in the departments, group and sub-group level.
Skills Used
Liquidate the aging stocks and limited the re-orders and non-moving merchandise with enhanced visual merchandising.
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Business Development Manager
Company Name: Gynye.com Online Retail
Date Employed: JUN 2013 to FEB 2014
Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu –

Managing overall profitability of operations, strategic utilization & deployment of available resources to achieve organizational objectives.
Managing pre-production plans & schedules arranging for resources to ensure achievement of organizational targets.
Handling product related tasks including planning, controlling, troubleshooting & achievement of targets in coordination with other functions.
Adapting process improvement measures to maximize capacity utilization.
Liaising between inter department for all activities related to product development till final marketing to streamlined work flow.
Coordinating the product activities & drawing specification with the clients to ensure timely execution.
Ensuring transfer of materials within & subcontract factories with perspective of smooth flow till shipment.
Adroit at maintaining cordial relationship with customers, ensuring quality & service norms to achieve customer satisfaction and business retention.
Developing good contacts in Local market for most of the available products.
Ability to build Sales Funnel, Established track record of Revenue Generation
Gather competitive information & conduct research on competitor services and markets.
Compile reports and provide analysis on market information and business trends
leading, training & monitoring performance of team members for efficient sales operations & meeting targets.
Possess good administration skills & creating a team work environment to enhance productivity.
Excellent communicator with strong negotiation skills having leadership qualities & analytical power.

Brands handled
all leading brands local and international.
Responsibilities
Determine categories, department, group and subgroup levels. Home furniture / Furnishings, Home appliance, perfumes etc.,

Sourcing globally and locally. Listing products on daily basis. Achieving targets monthly with growth of 20% every month.

Accomplishments
Establish all the categories within given time.
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Category Manager for Home
Company Name: Souq.com – An Amazon Company
Dates Employed: – MAY 2012 to JUNE 2013
Location: Dubai – UAE

Job Role
Associated with one of biggest online retailer.
Follow up orders with Wholesalers & Retailers
Preparing Time and Action Plan to meet advance delivery date.
Handling Orders from Development stage to Shipping.
Order Planning & Communicating with warehouse while handling the order execution.
Working on Stages of sampling approvals from the Wholesalers n Retailers.
Scheduling the Photo shoot, Production follow ups, inspection.
Assist in product to ensure that products meet brand’s quality and budget requirements
Maintain & develop strong business relationships with vendors for product development & production
communicating with shipping department for export documentation.
Execute and giving solutions to problems
Follow up orders with vendors & team to ensure qualified order process & on-time delivery.
Working on costing with various options to fit into target price.
Enthusiastically represented the company by professionally greeting the retailer’s n wholesalers.
Delivered personal attention to customers to ensure high level of satisfaction.
To generate repeat clientele and to encourage word of mouth referrals.
Developed rapport with customers and fostered cordial atmosphere.
Ensuring consistently high quality customer service and satisfaction.
Uphold all corporate policies & procedures.

Brands Handled:
All leading brands

Sourcing products from distributors and wholesalers in the region and import globally. Determine Home Category and achieved sale from 10,000 Dhs. to 2,000,000 Dhs. Daily basis deals and promotions weekly are routine work. One to One meetings every month on the Targets. Listing products daily basis. Visiting Wholesalers twice a week. Offering multi task to retailers and wholesalers. Achieving marketing strategies. Listed more than 100,000 products.
Achievements
Listed more products from 50,000 to 100,000
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Head of Buying
Company Name: Ashroff’s General Trdg LLC
Dates Employed – MAR 2011 to APR 2012
Location: Dubai UAE

Buying Budget and Planning
Establish buying requirements and formulate buying plan and budget for the assigned department/category
Align the buying plan to the overall department/category business plan and the merchandize strategy as laid down by the department/ category manager
Help meet the profit targets by ensuring timely procurement of the department/category Merchandise
Pursue cost reduction measures through centralized bulk buying and/ or selecting appropriate vendor mix, scanning the environment for benchmarks and constantly improving the purchase process
Vendor Management
Develop an adequate vendor base for the concept through active scouting and negotiation / renegotiation Build and maintain relationships with vendors and suppliers and negotiate the best deals with them for procuring merchandise
Maintain contact with vendors; update list of vendors for bidding purposes; attend product demonstrations, obtain samples and literature regarding potential products and vendor capabilities and confer with end users
Identify, evaluate and select appropriate vendor mix to achieve business objectives Order Management
Place orders based on the buying plan and ensure merchandise is delivered as per the plan based on the agreed service level agreement
Implement financial and credit services agreement with the vendor that maximize profit and positively contribute to cash flow
Track the merchandise transportation from supplier to distribution center and ensure smooth flow of goods
Follow the reverse logistics guidelines to send the faulty / damaged goods back to the vendor and Product Research

Identify and leverage alternate buying opportunities to source products and to ensure that company maintains its competitive edge by constant renegotiation
Ensure effective communication, collation and follow-up on various product requirements and findings obtained from the sales/store data
Keep abreast of the latest trends in buying and discuss the same with the department/category Manager from time to time to assess realignment of existing processes
Gather information from Industry trade groups or through trade shows/market visits.
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Business Head – Furniture
Company Name: OOD LIFE INT’L PVT LTD
Dates Employed – JUL 2010 to FEB 2011
Location: Chennai India
Furniture / Household & Accessories.
Establishing Showrooms and Warehouse set up in entire south India. (Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai) Arranged showrooms and warehouse in the right designated Place. Recruitment and managing stores. Inventory management, Advertising, Budget forecasting, vendor management. Determine layout and organizing merchandise at the designated area and place.
Promotions and sales offers for the month. Import and export management.
​Brand : OOD LIFE

Sr. Buyer-Furniture, Household & Accessories:
Company Name: Pan Emirates Furniture
Dates Employed: SEP 2002 up to JUN 2010,

Sourcing Furniture & Household product, Department like: Furniture’s, Lighting, Carpets & Rugs, Soft-furnishing (Bed linen & Table Linen), Gifts items (home decor), Glassware, Crockery, Kitchenware, Bathroom Accessories, Artificial Garden and Plastics.

I have strong sourcing from Fareast, Europe, USA, India & Pakistan. My job responsibility is to keep updating market by new products on to the floor. Sourcing entire range of the products department wise. Apart from these I am maintaining the floor management and training the staff in and out.

Achievements:
1. Developed in-house brand called Pan Home Furnishings & PEF CLASSIC.
2. Developed Layout for the entire Furniture & Household Department.
3. Developed Departments, Group and Sub Group for Furniture & household section.
4. Improved Sales from 10% to 35%.
5. In Khaleej Times Article (Tabloid) I have been represented as a participant courtesy by Pan Emirates. (Dated 17th June 2003)
6. Experienced in laying out and set up on the floor. I had opened 9 new showrooms for Pan Emirates.
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Department Manager cum Buyer –
Company Name: Lifestyle Int’l (Pvt) Ltd.,
Dates Employed: JAN 2000 to AUG 2002
Location: Chennai India

Landmark Chain of store in Dubai is the largest retail chain of stores in Middle East region, which has different concepts like Shoe Mart, Splash, Home Centre, Baby Shop, Max, E-max and Lifestyle.
Worked as a Showroom Manager cum Buyer for (Home Centre concept) lifestyle project in India.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
I have asked to set-up different sections inside the store, based on collection of product as per Department, Group, and subgroups as per the store layout.
Installation of fittings as per the Drawings.

Planning and setting the layout of back-store. Enhancing the products in different sections as per international standards by reaching to the manufacturers in different parts of India.

Staff Training.
Giving authentic knowledge about the products.
Maintaining staff Discipline.
Staff Analysis – Roaster
Meetings with all the Staff – On the Floor.
Institutional Sales – Corporate clients.
Analyzing the customer flow – Weekly.
Stock movement reports – With concept Supervisors -a Review.
Thru & Fro Communications – (Showroom/ Warehouse)
10) Working on Discount Sales Structure.
Promotions
Local Purchase for all departments

Working on staff feedback reports. Market Survey with staffs.
Customer Demands – focusing and implementing.
Sourcing products all over India.

I was controlling 60 plus staffs, handling around 30,000 sqft Area in Chennai and coordinating with Hyderabad & Ban galore store about 45,000-sqft areas each respectively.
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Floor Manager
Company Name: Home Centre
Dates Employed: – JAN 1998- DEC 1999
Location: Riyadh – Saudi Arabia

Worked as Floor Manager for Home Products, like household and furniture. And I was handling local buying and keeping the market update. Preparing, sales promotion, inside the store twice a year for non-moving products. Plus Discount sales for summer and winter session. Around 10 sections like Interiors (Soft furnishing – Bed linen, Table linen) Gifts, Glassware, Crockery, Kitchenware, Garden, Furniture and the complete home needs etc.,

Handled around 38,000-sqft areas, with 29 staffs in and out.
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Sr. Salesman Sharjah
Company Name: Home Centre
Dates Employed: APR 1997/ DEC 1997
Location: Sharjah UAE

Organizing sections with help of sales staff and Assistance
Keeping inventory full on a daily basis.
Replenishment depends on a daily sale.

Same as above as a trainee
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Sales Executive
Company Name: Videocon (Pvt) Ltd.,
Dates Employed: FEB 1996 to FEB 1997
Location: Chennai India

Worked as a floor executive in Department.
Increased the Sales by setting up of group modular system.
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Sales Cum Customer Support
Company Name: Meezan Computer (p) Ltd
Dates Employed: MAR 1995 to JAN 1996
Location: Chennai India

Sales cum customer support
Ensuring all the supplies to Telco, Maruti, TVS etc. and keeping engaged with other companies.