Ankita Nagar

Category and buying leader with 11+ years in luxury designer wear and multi-brand fashion retail. Owns category profit and loss end to end, from designer sourcing and assortment planning through pricing, markdown strategy and inventory liquidation. Launched menswear and kidswear categories from inception to INR 8.5 Cr in a single year, delivered INR 22 Cr+ cumulative category revenue, and took INR 1.5 Cr a year out of procurement and operating cost through vendor negotiation and process redesign.

Works close to the numbers, with sell-through, ageing and margin data driving every buy.

Category Head - Kalki Fashions

(2025-10)

• Curates seasonal collections across in-house production and white labels, holding 100% sales target compliance through data-led assortment planning that balances new-season depth against ageing inventory risk.
• Cut procurement and operating cost by INR 50 to 75 lakh by renegotiating supplier terms, consolidating the vendor base and removing duplicated steps across the buying and order pipeline.
• Negotiated markdown terms with 35+ vendors to bring procurement cost down 10% while protecting margin integrity, keeping discounting funded by suppliers rather than absorbed by the category.
• Directed marketing, content and logistics teams through the Black Friday Sale, lifting revenue 15% and clearing 35% of slow-moving inventory inside the promotional window.
• Rebuilt the liquidation calendar around ageing and sell-through data, raising dead-stock sales 35% with no accompanying spike in returns.

Category Manager and Buyer - Aza Fashions

(2017-10 - 2025-10)

• Owned seasonal curation for 100+ luxury designers, sustaining 100% year-on-year sales target compliance through assortment planning grounded in sell-through and customer demand data.
• Launched the menswear and kidswear categories from inception, driving INR 8.5 Cr revenue in 2023-24 with 200% growth in menswear and 80% in kidswear against a standing start.
• Delivered INR 22 Cr+ cumulative revenue across categories by pairing designer collaborations with disciplined merchandising and a tightly managed buy calendar.
• Saved INR 1.5 Cr annually in procurement and operating cost through vendor negotiation, consolidated ordering and process efficiencies across the category.
• Secured markdown agreements with 35+ designers, reducing procurement cost 14% while holding margin integrity across the season.
• Led marketing, content and logistics through the Big Luxury Sale end-of-season event, lifting revenue 20% and clearing 65% of slow-moving inventory.
• Lifted conversion rates 18% by reworking visual merchandising and launch presentation for new collections across the platform.
• Mentored 5 junior merchandisers in trend forecasting and vendor negotiation, improving team efficiency 30% and building bench strength for the category.
• Recovered 40 to 45% of QC-failed orders by coaching the order team on follow-up discipline and redirecting clients to comparable merchandise instead of cancelling.

Assistant Manager, Sales and Operations - Krishna Mehta, The Designer

(2017-02 - 2017-09)

• Managed sales operations across India for the label, holding consistent revenue growth across retail and online partner channels through the period.
• Produced collection shoots and handled high-profile events including Lakme Fashion Week, lifting international buyer interest 15% and widening the label's wholesale reach.
• Trimmed 5% of operating expense for the business unit by tightening vendor terms and removing avoidable spend from the event and production calendar.
• Scheduled new-collection uploads to the website alongside launch and marketing planning, and built quarterly sales-driven plans for online partners.

Senior Merchandiser and Buyer - Indian Hanger, Piramal Group

(2015-01 - 2017-02)

• Engineered analytics-led seasonal buying plans that increased category sales 15% while reducing excess stock 25%, tightening the link between forecast and buy.
• Streamlined vendor onboarding for 100+ luxury brands, cutting lead times 20% and turning one-off suppliers into long-term partnerships.
• Designed end-of-season discount frameworks that cleared INR 3.2 Cr of inventory within 45 days without eroding full-price sell-through on continuing lines.
• Expanded brand reach 40% through nationwide exhibitions run with marketing, generating business-to-business leads alongside direct sales.
• Achieved 100% on-time order delivery and reduced delays and cancellations 20% by reworking the follow-up cadence with vendors and the order desk.

Post-Graduation - Event Management - IIEM

Bachelor of Commerce - B.Com - University of Mumbai