Mary P. Cooper 558 Town Hall Court #3 Saint Louis, Missouri 63141 (314) 579-9836 mc103aee0@westpost.

net Energetic, results-oriented self starter with over 29 years experience in purcha sing, merchandising, inventory control, sales management and customer service in the retail industry. Possess proficiency in follow-through, communication, orga nization and time management skills. Demonstrates creativity, initiative, good j udgment and the ability to express thoughts clearly and simply. Conscientious, a ccurate and intuitive. Identify and resolve problems using available resources. Self-directed professional who takes pride in maintaining the highest ethical st andards at all times. EXPERIENCE Forshaw of Saint Louis, Inc. May 1995-Present Accomplishments Set store records of highest retail sale to an individual; $68,000 in upscale ou tdoor furniture in 2005, $15,000 in premium fireplace doors, 2006. Proven success in meeting and exceeding sales potential; generated a personal hi gh of over $500,000 in sales fiscal year 2007. Merchandise included casual indoo r/outdoor furniture, gas logs, fireplaces and fixtures, barbeque grills and acce ssories. Revived underachieving companies' lines including Lloyd Flanders and Weber-Steph ens by introducing a more creative product mix that resulted in goal achievement for the 1st time in several years. Credited with creating and posting informational literature and signage; results were increased efficiency and sales. Utilizing strict inventory control discovered excessive shrinkage leading to imp roved store security. Eliminated aging inventory using aggressive markdowns; maintained a reasonable m argin on those items. Performed all merchandise purchasing to maximize sales volume, gross margins and effective inventory turnover for assigned departments. Maintained responsibilit y for more than $600,000 in products, meeting freight and dollar minimums for or ders from both domestic and international vendors. Superior management of all companies' lines maintained, keeping orders, pricing and catalogs accurate and current. Research trends and forecasts, analyze report s to determine seasonal product mix. Assertive and thorough product knowledge ta ught to consumers to satisfy their requests for goods and services offered. Reor ganized unwieldy files and paperwork; made them accessible to co-workers.

Central Hardware Company, Inc. Claims Negotiator-Bankruptcy Division April 1994-March 1995 Processed claims and negotiated settlements with legal departments and upper man agement of major suppliers of home improvement goods. A few of the vendors inclu ded PPG Industries, Arrow Tools and Owens Corning. Supervisor/Inventory Control/Buyer June 1985-March 1994 Promoted to inventory analyst/buyer at the corporate office after 4 years as sup ervisor in several retail store locations. Supplied over thirty stores in five states with various categories of home impro vement materials from the main warehouse and direct shipments from manufacturers . Analyzed totals of requested, advertised and regularly carried merchandise, de

termining stock adequacy, based on volume of sales per store. Implemented stock transfers between stores, also based on volume. Taught inventory control methods at Missouri stores; prepared for the new perpetual inventory system. Managed several departments (Garden and Promotions, House wares, Paint Hardware and Tools) in multiple store locations, setting ads, merchandising, requesting g ood, scheduling, providing excellent customer service, securely opening and clos ing the stores. Worked with store budgets; promptly reported sales, payroll and margins to the corporate office. Participated in existing and new store sets pri marily using Plano grams, but also exercising creativity. Salesperson/Customer Service/ Cashier June 1978-May 1985 Voted Employee of the Month an unprecedented three times. One of four selected to appear in company wide training video, distributed to ov er thirty stores in five states. EDUCATION Completed coursework at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis