Helgavia Saayman
Cape Town
Summary
Retail projects and visual merchandising professional with experience coordinating showroom openings, revamps, relocations, and day-to-day operations across four retail showrooms. Known for managing suppliers, stakeholders, compliance, budgets, and store readiness while using Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe to keep launches organised and on time.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Projects Co Ordinator & Area Manager
Homechoice
Cape Town, Western Cape
04.2023 - Current
- Managed operational performance across four retail showrooms, enhancing customer experience and sales. • Coordinate showroom openings, revamps and relocations • Manage suppliers, contractors and stakeholders • Drive compliance, visual merchandising and operational excellence • Monitor sales performance and store readinessMonitoring project progress and creating status reports for Project Manager
- Coordinated retail projects for timely execution, aligning with overall business objectives.
- Managed project management documents, including the project plan, budget, schedule, and scope statement.
- Scheduled resources to equip team members with necessary tools, enabling task completion and efficiency.
- Scheduling stakeholder meetings and facilitating communication between the project manager and stakeholders throughout the project life cycle.
- Executing a variety of project management administrative tasks such as billing and bookkeeping
National Visual Merchandising Co-Ordinator
Foorgear
Cape Town, Western Cape
04.2022 - 02.2023
- Create VM directives, promotional guides and in – store visual training.
- Working with Merchandise to create planogram’s and ensure correct execution of stock displays.
- Liaise with the Marketing team on promotions and product launches to manage visual communications to stores.
- Working closely with Marketing team on in store visual merchandising material regarding promotional campaigns and brand collaborations.
- Ensure uniformity of displays across multiple store locations – receiving imagery from stores and liaise with Area and Regional Managers to ensure compliance.
- Visit stores and train sales teams in store visual merchandising techniques and concepts.
- Ensure displays are executed consistently across all brands.
- Ensure all visual collateral is maintained
- Researching and suggesting solutions for instore visual material.
- New Store Merchandising duties:
- Select imagery for the Graphic packs of new stores.
- Work closely with Projects team to develop space plans for new and revamp stores.
- Support the Visual team with store openings and related activities – installation, sourcing materials, imagery selection, operations and logistics.
- Report back on new stores after opening by analyzing 3D scans and reporting back to Visual Manager
- (retrenchment)
Multiple roles
Truworths Ltd
10.2013 - 03.2022
- Visual Stylist / Supervisor (15 October 2013 – Present)
- Regular stores (15 stores) and working with Visual Team to ensure and maintain international standards.
- Have a creative flair and ability to combine colours, and to create stories.
- Trained visual merchandisers, window dressers, store managers, and area managers to enhance visual merchandising standards and practices.
- Working closely with Marketing, Buyers and Coordinators.
- Ability to interpret briefs and demonstrate creativity in generating creative concepts.
- Maintaining good knowledge of company and merchandising policies and procedures in retail environment
- Caretaking Visual Display Manager (15 August 2019 – 15 February 2020)
- Oversee the implementation and maintenance of elements.
- Ensure stock is correctly merchandised, and that agreed floor plans and displays are implemented on a national level.
- Work closely with the teams to plan and communicate display of products to maximum effect in line with the company brand look and feel for each category. This involves ongoing communications with Buyers,Marketing and Visual Departments as well as In-store Managers and Visual Merchandisers.
- Travelling to local branches to ensure standards are being maintained.
- Training of Visual Merchandisers, Window Dresser, Store Managers and Area Managers.
- Oversaw budget management to ensure financial efficiency.
- Staff scheduling, employee relations and other management responsibilities.
- YDE Store Manager (15 November 2017 – 7 April 2018)
- Oversaw daily operations of store, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in all processes.
- Motivated sales team.
- Creating business strategies and developing promotional material new staff, recruitment, supervising and upskilling staff.
- Managing budgets and maintaining statistical and financial records.
- Dealing with customer queries and complaints.
- Overseeing pricing and stock control.
- Maximised profitability and met sales targets by motivating staff and implementing effective sales strategies.
Field Visual Merchandiser
The Foschini Group (TFG): Foschini
04.2012 - 10.2013
- Partnered with team to execute seasonal merchandising changes, ensuring alignment with brand strategy for all grade stores.
- Collaborated with Marketing and Management to design customer journey initiatives that improved store turnover.
- Conducted regular store visits and trained in-store staff to enhance product presentation and customer experience.
- Merchandising of all grade stores.
Education
Short Course -
Cape Town College of Fashion
06-2021
National Diploma - Marketing
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
01-2010
National Senior Certificate -
Bridgton Secondary School
01-2002
Skills
- Adobe
- PowerPoint
- Excel
- Good presentation skills and communication skills
- Team player and the ability to persuade and lead
- Creative and innovative
- Flexible and adaptive
- Good work ethic
- Leadership and management
References
References upon request
Timeline
Projects Co Ordinator & Area Manager
Homechoice
04.2023 - Current
National Visual Merchandising Co-Ordinator
Foorgear
04.2022 - 02.2023
Multiple roles
Truworths Ltd
10.2013 - 03.2022
Field Visual Merchandiser
The Foschini Group (TFG): Foschini
04.2012 - 10.2013
Short Course -
Cape Town College of Fashion
National Diploma - Marketing
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
National Senior Certificate -
Bridgton Secondary School