Career Path of a Buyer at Ross
Gabby's career path began with a focused pursuit of a buyer role at Macy's, starting as an assistant buyer in women's dresses and progressing to managing a "25 to 50 million dollars in sales" men's outerwear business. After exploring finance at Free People and in Macy's cosmetics, a return to buying, this time in fragrances and now at Ross as an associate buyer in prestige cosmetics, showcases a diverse yet strategically driven career trajectory.
Retail, Buying, Fashion Merchandising, Career Progression, Financial Planning
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Gabby DAnnunzio
Buyer
Ross
University of Arizona
None
Business & Related
Apparel, Beauty, Retail & Fashion
Business Strategy
Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Gabby's career path showcases the possibility of transitioning between different roles within the retail industry, such as from assistant buyer to financial planner and back to buyer. This highlights the diverse opportunities available and the potential for career pivots.
2. Her experience at Macy's, a large corporate retailer, provides insight into the structured career progression that can be found in established companies. This includes starting as an assistant buyer and gradually taking on more responsibility and ownership of larger product categories and sales.
3. Gabby's involvement in a university retail program and a fashion internship emphasize the importance of practical experience and networking in securing a retail buying role. She directly links her academic involvement and internships to her successful career path.
Transcript
Gabby, could you walk me through your career path? Let's start with your experiences in college. Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
Absolutely. I went to school at the University of Arizona, Bear Down. I was really involved in my retail program and I absolutely lived and breathed buying. I knew I wanted to be a buyer.
I knew I wanted to be in Macy's corporate buying, which was ultimately my first role. Macy's recruits heavily from business schools and also creates a lot of career fairs. You don't have to be obsessed with one specific company to get in.
I did have one fashion internship prior, and I held exact positions in my college as well. Then I was lucky enough to start as an assistant buyer at Macy's corporate. My first role was in women's dresses, which was one of my favorite roles. It had really fun product and was an interesting type of business.
Then I moved over to be an assistant buyer in men's suits, where I ultimately owned men's topcoats and raincoats. It was empowering being 23 or 24 years old and owning a whole business that generated between 25 and 50 million dollars in sales.
I wanted a bit of a challenge, so I moved over to the financial side. I was a financial planner for Free People, Lucky, and Sanctuary. Then, during COVID, I moved over to be a financial planner in cosmetics, focusing on clinical and trend skincare.
I went back to buying and was an associate buyer in fragrances. I specifically owned all the up-and-coming new designer fragrances, promotional celebrity fragrances, bath and body, and home fragrances. That was a little crazy.
After six years at Macy's, I moved over to Ross. I've been here for the last few months and am now an associate buyer in cosmetics, doing prestige cosmetics, skincare, and supplements. I specifically own sunscreen, serums, oils, and sets.
Advizer Personal Links
Insta gabbydannunzio