Product Management & Merchandising

Through extensive industry trend analysis, consumer interviews, surveys and more, we found that consumers are flocking to the trails to get outside and de-stress from long workweeks. However, they are so worried about injuring rolling an ankle on a rock or branch that they can't fully take advantage of all that the trails have to offer. 

At this stage, we created a tech pack that included all the details that the factory needed to create our footwear. From there, we worked closely with a factory in Guangdong, China to develop our trail running shoe. As the primary developer on the project, I served as the sole point of contact with the factory to ensure that the footwear met our fit and function standards while also being on-time, on-design, manufacturable, sustainable and profitable.  

While we continued to develop our footwear samples with the factory, we also curated a marketing strategy to help tell the story of our brand and product from a consumer-facing standpoint. We also analyzed our supply chain strategy and created a plan of action to bring our product to the Chinese market. 

During this stage, we broadened our understanding of the Latin American market, researching the ways in which we can adapt our product line to fit the Chilean consumer. 

For the final stage, we dove into the logistics of our product launch — from direct-to-consumer strategy to forecasting.