Name: Lilly Pearce ’17
Title: Global Merchandising Intern
Company: Coach (Coach is looking for summer interns – apply by March 1, 2017 – apply now)
What did you do during your summer internship:
I started working in the Global Merchandising (Outlet Leather Goods) department for Coach New York. In a nutshell, merchandising involves the promotion of sales through a variety of strategies. So far, I’ve been able to learn more about the inner workings of the department and also the larger processes of the company. Our department specifically focuses on promoting the sale of women’s handbags. I have attended an assortment of meetings that have involved brainstorming, sales strategy, and analysis of sales. I’ve also been learning about the different types of handbags, including the differences in construction and material, and how they are cataloged. In addition to this, we have been working extensively with excel and other creative programs to organize, create, and reference assortments. I have been able to help organize and pull samples to bring to the showroom where professional photos are taken to market each new collection.
Favorite part:
I really enjoyed working with the merchandising team! It’s a small group of women who have been very helpful and knowledgeable. I’ve also really enjoyed the trend forecasting project I’ve been working on for next fall. Since the collections for each season are released in advance to the actual season, the creative process has to start early on. It’s really interesting to research trends as well as our competitors to learn more about the creative process.
Something that has surprised you:
There is so much work that goes into assembling a successful collection for an upcoming season. From predicting future trends in fashion, to studying the previous success of certain silhouettes. It’s a very complicated process. It’s really cool to see all the hard work manifest itself in all the stores globally! There is a ton of creativity, perseverance, and talent at Coach. In addition to this, it has been fascinating and eye-opening to learn more about what certain consumers in different parts of the globe look for in a handbag. A bag that sells well here may not be as successful for Coach China, for example. I definitely wasn’t expecting the handbag market to be so diverse!
