The July 17 issue of HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® features the 18th annual Impact Merchants special report. Housewares suppliers, representing the categories that HomeWorld covers, once again were asked to nominate buyers and merchandisers believed to have made a significant impact during the past year.
The selection of the 20 Impact Merchant winners is not intended as a definitive list of the best merchants in housewares retailing. Votes went to several more merchandisers than those featured. This year’s honorees represent buyers in given categories that received the majority of votes by vendors polled.
Voters were asked to give added weight to merchandising creativity, trend and marketing astuteness, attention to detail, openness to risk, flexibility, relationship building and the ability to deliver a profitable program for both the vendors and retailer while providing value to consumers. One thing this year’s Impact Merchants share is a vote of respect by their vendors. In today’s unpredictable retail environment, that vote really counts.
Melissa Cameron, Tuesday Morning, Senior Tabletop Buyer
Melissa Cameron, a 2017 HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® Impact Merchant in the tabletop category, has been selected for the honor by her vendor partners for the third time; she was also chosen in 2009 and 2016.
Her buying career spans 29 years, with 26 of them being in tabletop exclusively. Cameron marked 19 years with Tuesday Morning in November 2016. Prior to Tuesday Morning, she was at NM Direct, the catalog division of Neiman Marcus, buying bath accessories and table linens. Prior to that, she was a buyer for nine years at Dillard’s, with seven years in the home area.
Tabletop suppliers have praised her confidence in decision-making and transparency in sales negotiations, her relationship building skills, and her veteran knowledge of the tabletop marketplace and its nuances.
“Melissa is a seasoned buyer who is in touch with her customers and their needs. She is always aware of trends and what will work in her assortments,” said one vendor. “She is the ultimate professional in her dealings with vendors and also has extensive knowledge of the entire process, from sourcing, to production, to merchandising. I wish we had more buyers like her,” the vendor added.
Another vendor noted that particularly with the challenges of being an off-price channel buyer, “She is creative and has a keen sense of what products her customer is looking to purchase. She takes full advantage of the range of brands that we carry.”
2017 HomeWorld Business Impact Merchants (click on name for profile):
- Jennifer Cotreau, Wayfair
- Liz Anderson, Sam’s Club
- Jason Kloster, Walmart
- Tamara Rosenkranz, Williams Sonoma
- Melissa Cameron, Tuesday Morning
- Alison Alness-Richmond, Target
- Dan Willman, Best Buy
- Carol Nakauchi, Dollar General
- Natalia Goncalves, BrandsMart
- Jason Perez, Costco
- Tracy Godshall, Bed Bath & Beyond
- Kanani McNerthney, Kroger/Fred Meyer
- Jason Rogers, Walmart
- Karen & Brad Hughes, Artichoke
- Kim Kimbriel, The Container Store
- Alison Fosbenner, Lowe’s
- Harry Jacobs, HomeGoods
- Amy Eshuys, Christmas Tree Shops
- Sean Le Deit, Houzz
- Brad Wiesner, Bed Bath & Beyond
