Name: Christina Mickova Title: Web Merchandiser Company Name: ALDO Group Study program: AEC in Fashion Marketing – Buyer’s Profile Degree obtained in: 2012
Graduated from Fashion Marketing – Buyer’s Profile in 2012, Christina Mackova has been flourishing in the world of merchandising and web marketing. From working in retail stores to becoming a Web Merchandiser, her journey is as much fascinating as it is stimulating.
Take a look at her interview and her passion for all things merchandising.
Christina Mickova
What title do you currently hold and what are your main functions?
I am a Web Merchandiser, which means I take care of the product aspect of the website. I currently take care of the Ladies category (footwear, handbags & accessories) for the UK & EU markets. My main functions include taking part in the email strategy, email approvals, site preparation for monthly website refreshes, organizing and setting up the merchandising tasks calendar to help the team prioritize and organize themselves and much more!
Working at Aldo is being part of a very dynamic and ever-evolving company and therefore it’s very hard to describe typical days, since they are so different! I usually have a weekly meeting with my team. There are also some strategy meetings regarding email planning and site planning.
We also have workshops regarding SEO and how to optimize some processes. Site maintenance takes up a lot of time during the week which includes making sure the website is optimized to give the best client experience possible.
Describe your career path.
I started working in clothing stores, such as H&M, at around 16. I participated in store openings as a sales associate throughout Canada. I chose to move to France and worked at Mango for 2 months. I came back and started working at BCBG as a full-time sales associate and about 6 months later, I become a Visual Merchandiser for about 2 years.
Needing a challenge, I left the company to open HR2 (concept store by Holt Renfrew) and worked there for 9 months as a Visual Merchandiser. I then decided to leave the company to work for Vero Moda. An opportunity to work at the head office opened: it was a Web Merchandiser position. They were launching 2 brand-new websites (Vero Moda and Jack & Jones) and needed to build a team.
Having a lot of visual merchandising experience and looking for a new challenge, I then took the next step in my career and started working at the Bestseller head office as a Web Merchandiser. I was there for about 2 years and a half when I received a call from Aldo about a position on the E-Commerce team. I accepted the job offer and have been with the Aldo group ever since. I started as a Web Merchandiser on the North American team and have recently been promoted to the UK/EU team.
What is your fondest memory while studying at LaSalle College?
Having the possibility of doing a Fashion Marketing program online while also working full-time. Although it was a challenge to juggle both, working in fashion and studying in the same field created the perfect hybridity of working experience in the fashion industry.
What was your favorite subject while studying at LaSalle College? Are you applying this today to your current career?
Visual merchandising was my favorite class since I wanted to be a Visual Merchandiser at the time. I still use a lot of what I learned at LaSalle College in my career now. The information was very relevant for every position that I have held.
What was your general feeling and first impression when you started out at LaSalle College?
I was very excited to be attending LaSalle College. I was always very interested in fashion and having the ability to further my knowledge was very exciting to me.
What advice would you offer to a student currently enrolled in the same program you took or to your younger self?
Be open to having your original plans change. Be open to discovery. I know that a lot of people have their 5, 10, 15-year plan pretty much set, but I think that when you leave a bit of room for discovery, it could lead to very interesting things.
What are the qualities necessary to succeed in your field?
To be determined, open-minded and ready to work hard. You need to be aware of what’s happening in the E-commerce world daily because things quickly become obsolete. Reading articles, observing what the competition is doing, participating in workshops, market research; these are all things that would keep you on top of what’s going on.
Who are your role models and why?
My senior director because of her very impressive and diverse path. I consider her a role model because even though she doesn’t have much E-commerce experience to begin with, her curiosity, determination and business knowledge truly define her as a key player in the company.
Anything you would like to add that would be inspiring to our next generation?
Read loads of books, be curious and go for what you want.
