Driving Sales with Data-Driven Buyer Personas

Context and Objectives

Despite assortment changes, the Capri Hot Doors class consistently underperformed My objective was to understand regional customer behaviors, optimize budget allocation, and align product offerings to sstrategically drive category growth.

My Role

As a Buyer at Ross, I:

• Developed Buyer Personas: Created detailed profiles for Arizona (Lilly TOmlin), Florida (Goldie Hawn), and Hawaii (Jennifer Coolidge) using geographical & consumer sales data.

• Analyzed Sales Data: Identified Arizona as the primary region hindering Capri class performance.

• Collaborated with Teams: Worked with East Coast buyers, GMMs, Planning, & Allocation teams to implement budget reallocation.

• Implemented Strategy: Redirected Capri class Allocation away from Arizona to focus on high-potential regions.

• Monitored Performance: Tracked sales data post-reallocation to ensure strategy effectiveness.

Challenges and Solutions

• Identifying Root Causes: Utilized buyer personas to uncover distinct regional customer needs and motivations.

• Performance Discrepancies: Determined that Arizona's market was negatively impacting overall sales and strategically excluded it from Capri shipments.

• Cross-Functional Coordination: Facilitated collaboration across multiple departments to ensure seamless implementation of budget shifts.

Results

• 15% Decrease in Markdowns:  Decreased Capri Hot Stores Class by 15% total season through strategic budget reallocation.

• Enhanced Customer Alignment: Improved product assortment alignment with regional buyer personas, leading to higher customer satisfaction.

• Strengthened Collaboration: Fostered effective teamwork across departments, ensuring successful strategy execution.