Head - Visual Merchandising & Retail Design - Ultrahuman Healthcare Pvt Ltd - Bangalore & Abu Dhabi
(2025-02 - 2025-09)
Led the end-to-end Visual Merchandising and Retail Design function for Ultrahuman. Delivered innovative strategies that boosted visibility and elevate customer experiences, and retail innovation across global markets.
- Brand Foundation: Authored comprehensive guidelines, SOPs, VM audits, and training modules, ensuring compliance with brand standards, safety regulations, and local laws across all retail environments.
- Retail Experience - Flagship & Brand Launches: Spearheaded the launch of Ultrahuman's first flagship brand store and brand experience centers, introducing innovative retail environments and setting benchmarks for future store formats. Directed the concept, design, and execution impactful display - kiosks, shop-in-shop formats, pop-up stores, and exhibition booths - translating brand identity into immersive, customer-centric retail environments.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnered closely with marketing, product team, industrial design team, retail operations, and leadership teams to align design initiatives with business strategy, commercial goals, and market expansion plans.
- Brand Display & VM Strategy: Led the development of modular display systems, video displays, wall units, tabletop POS, kiosks, and large-scale exhibition setups to maximize product visibility, storytelling, and customer engagement across formats.
- Global Rollouts & Program Management: Managed multi-market retail rollouts from concept development and prototyping to global execution, ensuring adherence to brand standards, packaging compliance, certifications, and execution quality across regions.
- Brand Activations & Collaborations: Delivered high-impact brand launches, global campaigns, customer engagement activities, pop-up experiences, and strategic brand collaborations to elevate market presence and consumer connect.
- Vendor, Supplier & Logistics Management: Managed global vendor partnerships and end-to-end logistics, including manufacturing coordination, international shipping, timelines, and cost optimization to ensure seamless multi-market rollouts.
- Team & Project Leadership: Built and mentored a high-performing VM and retail design team.
Head Retail Design & Visual Merchandising - Adani Airports - Ospree Dutyfree - Mumbai
(2023-06 - 2025-01)
Head PAN India visual merchandising & Retail Design for Ospree Duty-Free, a joint venture between Adani and Flemingo, including managing duty-free stores at the airports and ports, as well as the Le Marché Duty-Free store at the Eurotunnel.
- Worked closely with marketing, sales, projects, buying & merchandising categories & store management teams to synchronize visual strategies with overall business goals and promotions.
- Concept Development & Campaign launches: Crafting engaging themes and stories that align with the brand and resonate with travellers, while tailoring campaigns to seasonal trends, events & new launches.
- Planning Events and Brand Launches at Airports: Organizing and executing promotional events and product launches for brands and in-house initiatives within airport environments.
- Store Openings and Layout Planning: Designing store layouts & planning product placements to maximize space efficiency and enhance customer flow and accessibility.
- Brand Representation: Developing and executing visual merchandising strategies tailored to luxury brands, ensuring that their high-end products are presented in a manner that reflects their premium status and appeals to discerning traveller.
- Space Optimization: Designing planogram to efficiently use available space while ensuring that products are prominently displayed and easily accessible, enhancing customer flow and overall shopping experience.
- Managing Training & Support: Visual Merchandising Representatives Across India: Leading and mentoring VM reps across India, & store Managers - delivering consistent feedback to enhance performance and maintain standards.
- Vendor Management and Compliance: Managing vendor relations, ensuring adherence to regulations, and managing permissions and approvals within airport authorities.
Manager Visual Merchandising - Fossil India Pvt Ltd - Mumbai & Bangalore
(2015-05 - 2023-06)
8 years at Fossil India Pvt Ltd: Managing over 240 stores, including EBOs, boutiques, multi-brand outlets, and trade/VMI stores.
- Brands Managed: Fossil Group's own brands: Fossil, Skagen. Licensee brands: Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, Armani Exchange, DKNY, Diesel, Kate Spade, BMW, PUMA, ELLE
- Product Launches: Successfully launched jewellery, smartwatches, fitness bands, and hybrids for Fossil, EA, Skagen, AX, MK, Misfit, Chaps, and Diesel.
- Strategic Responsibilities: Planning, conceptualizing, and implementing seasonal campaigns, product promotions, and floorsets across all channels. Coordinating with the APAC region for new product introductions (NPI), budgeting, and PAN India planning.
- Cross-functional Coordination: Collaborating with Sales, Planning, Merchandising, and Marketing teams for events, promotions, store openings, and issue resolution.
- Creative Initiatives: Enhancing competitive edge through superior counter displays, stock-on-hand (SOH) management, brand presence, and visual impact.
- Regional Collaboration: Working with APAC team on floorset customization and regional initiatives
- Marketing Support: Creating digital catalogues, sourcing props, and assisting with marketing campaigns, events, roadshows, celebrity photo shoots, and mall activities.
- Vendor Management: Conducting regular vendor training, seasonal quality checks, quality assurance, and rate negotiations.
- Training Development: Creating channel-specific training modules, conducting regular staff and team training on new products and floorset launches, and updating brand guidelines.
- Budget Management: Planning and executing activities within the allocated budget.
Assistant Manager, Visual Merchandising - HyperCity Retail India Ltd. - Mumbai
(2010-09 - 2015-03)
4 years 6 months at HyperCITY Retail India Ltd. (Raheja Group)
- Design and Planning: Created store layouts and optimized space.
- Merchandising: Managed Fashion MPM, merchandise placement, and stock replenishment.
- Visual Presentation: Designed window and in-store displays to boost sales.
- Training: Provided VM and software training (Epysis & E-Signage) for staff.
- Collaboration: Coordinated with management, design, and marketing for promotions.
- Floor Moves: Implemented weekly floor moves, focal points, and mannequin styling.
- Compliance: Maintained SOPs and ensured displays met brand guidelines.
- Inventory: Managed VM inventory and tracked fixture placement and sales.
- Sourcing: Procured materials and display elements.
- Execution of all promotions & offers was solely handled & was awarded for the best 'STORE DISPLAYS IN WEST REGION'.
- Taking VM and MPM trainings & SOP maintenance.
- New store openings.
- Sourcing materials and display elements, such as lighting, props and accessories.
- Mannequin styling and Window displays - making use of creative lights, props & prints.
- Tracking sales before & after completion of promotions.
- Creation of a focal display, responsible for 'the look' of the store, with the aim of promoting goods in order to maximise sales.
- Taken regular initiatives to maximize & improve sales.
- Other job responsibilities include maintaining reports for VM collaterals & inventory.
Executive Manager, Visual Merchandising - Big Bazaar (Future Retail India Ltd.)
(2009-09 - 2010-09)
- Execution of all promotions & offers was solely handled & was awarded for the best 'STORE DISPLAYS IN WEST REGION'.
- Taking VM and MPM trainings & SOP maintenance.
- New store openings.
- Sourcing materials and display elements, such as lighting, props and accessories.
- Mannequin styling and Window displays - making use of creative lights, props & prints.
- Tracking sales before & after completion of promotions.
- Creation of a focal display, responsible for 'the look' of the store, with the aim of promoting goods in order to maximise sales.
- Taken regular initiatives to maximize & improve sales.
- Other job responsibilities include maintaining reports for VM collaterals & inventory.
Trainee, Visual Merchandising - Pune & Indore Central (Pantaloon Retail India Ltd.) - Pune & Indore
(2009-03 - 2009-09)
Six months internship in Indore & Pune Central (Pantaloon Retail India LTD.) for New store openings. Worked & learnt the importance of best-in-class merchandising, the various processes of retail planning, developing of merchandise plan and various assorted strategies etc.
- Execution of store, brands – promotions & offers.
- Brand displays – as per brand guidelines, theme, stories, seasons & promotions.
- Weekly window displays & mannequin styling- with season color trends & schemes.
- Creative Merchandise displays & Focal point creations so as to accelerate sales.
- Meeting vendors, visiting their set-ups. Understanding business, media & machine.
