Your Winter Wish ListJoin our Express experts to get the first glimpse into this year’s most popular winter wardrobe must-haves!

W i n t e r C h i c

Vol.72, Issue 14winterchic.com

Abbi Shares what its like to be a manager for one of the most popular fashion stores during the busiest holiday season.

2014

“ Style.....

is a way to say

WHO YOU ARE without having to speak

” ~Rachel Zoe

Table of Contents Letter to the Editor pg. 5

Behind the Doors of an Express Manager

This Year’s Must-Have Winter Wardrobe Peices

pg. 6

pg. 12

pg. 17Shoes Infographic

Hello ladies! Thanks for joining me in this month’s edition of Winter Chic. I, personally, find this time of year brutal. After surviving 21 years of Iowa winters, there are warm thoughts of southern states that cross my mind about this time every year. It isn’t until after I pull out all the winter coats and sweaters that I fall in love with this cold season and its ward-robe again. AND YOU CAN TOO.

This year our design team at Express has hand-picked the top winter must-haves for you that will be featured in this month’s edition. We have the top sweaters, knits, scarves and boots picked out to cover you from to head to toe in winter fashion and give you those tingly feelings of happiness. In addition to warming up your wardrove, these top picks also make great Christmas gifts for all friends and loved ones this season and they are all available at your local Express store.

This edition also features an interview with one of our style experts, Abbi Robinson who manages an Express department store. We sat down and talked with Abbi about what her life is like working in the retail department during the holiday season. From my personal experience, this position brings many unknown challenges, but nothing is more fun that getting the opportunity to dress your customers and their fam-ilies. Please take an extra minute this season to thank your favorite retail associates for their hard work in making you look fabulous! What would we do without all these men and women who dress us in our last minute emergencies! They are always there for all of our needs---so keep them in mind during this holiday season!

Tweet me at @winterchic to show us your favorite picture of you styling one of the top Express must-have list items and you could win a vacation for two to the Disney re-sort in Orlando, Flordia. We would love to see how you style your winter wardrobe!

Much love, Annie

Fro

m T

he E

dito

r

5

Behind the Doors of an

ExpressManager6

ExpressManager7

It isn’t often we run into your top-of-the-line manager who comes with a stylish wardrobe, a motivated personality and a good heart. What we found was miss Abbi Robinson, one of the four leading managers at Express Co. who takes the mantra “never stop working” a little too seriously. Meet Abbi, a junior at the University of Northern Iowa who pulls a full-time college schedule on top of a management position at Express and if that wasn’t enough to make you run to Nextflix for the next three months, Abbi also works as an office assistant at Dan Deery, a Toyota Dealership. Needless to say, Abbi is a people-person who is always around the corner ready to answer anyone’s questions, regardless if they pertain to clothes or autmobiles. Anyone who has ever stepped foot inside of a mall during holiday season can attest to the increase in traffic. But this doesn’t come without any challenges or late nights for retail managers. As a manager, Abbi isn’t only in charge of her staff and helping dress every cus-tomer who steps foot inside the store, but the behind the scenes work that takes place during or after hours that pulls the store together, which includes floor sets, mannequin outfit changes and promotion changes.

8

In addition to the extra details that go into the store to perfect it for holiday season, there are also details that go into preparing the staff. As a manager for Express, Abbi is responsibible for making sure her associates are informed on all sales, trained in all department zones and are aware of the needed sales for the segments of the day. This is where that special charm only certain managers carry comes into play. Abbi is able to motivate her staff and get them excited to sell clothes, even when many customers aren’t all cheerful and polite. There are many challenges that retail brings, especially during holiday season, but nothing that Abbi and her associates don’t greet with a smile and a positive at-titude. Express is high-end fashion store that provides only the best customer service and with Abbi as their manager, they are guaranteed to receieve the top customer shopping experience. We sat down and interviewed Abbi about her life and experiences working as a retail manager for Express and what it is like to sell clothes during the busy holiday season. We also inquired into some of her best and worst experi-ences in the retail world and how these have affected her as a manger. Retail is a challenging occupation and not every-one survives the associate position long enough to move up into a manager, but Abbi has exceeded the challenge and raises the bar everyday as to what a fabulous manager should look like. Join us for an interview on the following pages to get an inside look into what it takes to be a manager for one of the top retail stores in America and the challenges that holiday season brings to retail stores world wide.

9

WinterChic: Tell us about your position at Express. How long have you been a manager at Express? What does your job entail?

Abbi: I started at Express in October of 2012 at Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids. I loved it there. My managers were sweet but strict, which was actually a really great balance for me when I was still learning about the company. They always went out of their way to teach us about standards and giving quality customer experience. So when I decided to transfer to UNI, I was terrified of coming to a new store to join a new family. I had no idea what the managers would be like. I just remember telling my old manager Emily that I would probably be a manager there, and she responded, “Oh, I bet. You’d be good at it.” So when I was promoted in April this year, I made a promise to myself that I would make my associates feel like they were at home when they were working. I want to teach them everything I know, and set an example just like the managers I had. My job is not like the other managers. I have a lot less paperwork, and a lot more relationships. I am basically the cheerleader of the team. I’ve always been the one to sing and dance around the store. When our store was in the middle of rotating an entire management team, the store had lost the fun and loving atmosphere that I was used to. I wanted to bring that back. I work on the bulletin boards and contests for the team, and I help the other managers with their jobs as well. Whether that be helping train new hires, helping with floorset, or even coming in on random nights just so they can have a break. But the vast majority of my job is working with customers. I do my best to help them find exactly what they are looking for, and not only that, but make them feel like they got quality help. I never want our customers to feel like we are just selling to them. Selling is my job, but we do it so very differently than anyone else. We want the relationships. We want the loyalty. We want our customers to keep coming back, knowing that they mean the world to us.

WinterChic: As a retail manager for Express, what is one of your goals for this holiday season?

Abbi: Make money. (Just kidding, but really.) Mostly, our goal is to help every single person that walks through our door. Our store is unique from all the others in our region. We pride ourselves in providing amazing customer experiences. We also are working non-stop to have all of the merchandise we have available for customers to shop from. If we can be consistent in both of those areas, I think we will have an amazing season.

WinterChic: What is the most popular trend in fashion you have seen this holiday season? Is there a trend you have seen come back year after year that becomes a must have item during holiday season?

Abbi: Sweaters, sweaters, and sweaters. We often ask each other, “How many sweaters does one girl need?” And the response, “The limit does not exsist!” I really like the sweaters that are simple, in neutral colors, and ones that aren’t super thick. They are the sweaters that you can layer with a bunch of different things, and those are the sweaters that are perfect for transitioning into spring. A gray sweater looks great with boots and leggings, maybe even a really great leather jacket. And then in spring, wear that same sweater with a bright printed scarf, distressed denim and a simple flat. Suddenly that boring gray sweater is your favorite item.

10

Abbi: Honestly, there’s been so many. The ones that stand out are when the customers leave happy, and when they know you’ve done your absolute best to make their experience great. I’ve had customers hug me, tell me I need a raise, and I have customers who alwayswork with me. Those are the people who make my job enjoyable. They keep me coming back. The other thing that keeps me coming back are the asso-ciates. I love each and every one of the people who I work with. We talk about our lives, we get dinner and drinks, and we get together outside of work. I had one of the girls tell me recently that she would have me as a bridesmaid in her wedding one day. I was like, woah, I really made a difference here. I must really do my job right. And when I see the more experienced associates teaching the new ones all the same lessons I learned and taught them, it’s this crazy circle of life feeling. It’s actually really wonderful.

Winter Chic: What is your favorite memory working at Express?

Abbi: I was the kid who played dress up until I was 13. And really, I’ve never stopped. We play dress up all day long. I watched What Not To Wear all the time, and I actually learned a lot from Stacey and Clinton. I use their advice often with customers. I actually remember shopping at Express with my mom when I was in middle school. I ran around grabbing things for her to try on, and I’m sure my eyes were just sparkling. Every time I came into the store I thought, “I’m going to work here one day.” Sure enough, here I am.

WinterChic: Has fashion always been a big part of your life?

Abbi: Our holiday season starts on November 1st.-but for me it starts a few weeks before. I joke that if you don’t like Christmas, you shouldn’t work in retail. We celebrate early, and twice as long. Not only that, but we put up with the grumpy, tired, and frustrated shoppers that come in. The season ends shortly after New Year’s, after most of the returns have come back and the sparkly and shiny items clearance out.

WinterChic: When does holiday season offi-cially start/ end and what are the challenges it brings for a retail manager?

Abbi: There is a certain joy that comes from working holiday. There are lots of people thinking about others, which makes shopping a lot more fun. It’s more of a challenge, and it feels like a test of your knowledge. It’s very rewarding too. Working on Black Friday is crazy-unlike anything you can imagine. But once your shift is over, you get this amazing feeling of accomplishment. Like you can survive anything. Every week of holiday feels just like that, just on a smaller scale.I not only love helping people, but I love my co-workers, and the rewarding feeling they both bring me.

WinterChic: What do you love most about managing a high-end fashion store during holiday season?

The major challenge we face is simply keep-ing up with people. Our store takes pride in helping everycustomer, but during holiday we see almost triple the amount of customers. It takes a lot of training and preparation to have our staff ready for such a huge change in such a short time. We start moving 3x the merchandise, and often we start running low on sizes and colors of certain items. We have to make sure we can suggest other items, or add more items to help customers find the perfect gifts. We have to know our merchandise well enough to suggest items based on assump-tions of sizes and fits. We face a time crunch too, because everything needs to be ready before Christmas. As a manager, I feel like I’m constantly running. I try my best to give my associates direction as to what I need them to do. I have to rely on them more than any other time of year, and it really is a test for them. We know their strengths and weaknesses, but we know how to push them too.

11

Your WinterW i s h L i s t

Top picks by our fashion expertsavailable only at your local Express

12

Fold-Over Heeled Bootie is number one our shelves this winter season. Inspiring designers all over the country, this fold-over bootie comes in a wedge or heel.

1.

2.

13

$69.90

$129.90

The Rosemary Gold Watch features stunnig rose-gold diamonds making it unlike any other watch. Find this at your local Express for the perfect stocking stuffer for her!

The fold-Over Knit Sweater is designed to be worn in three different ways. Fold the top layer for a scarf or a collar! The creativity is up to you!

Asymmetrical Infinity Scarf is designed specifically for an ancessory to top off any shirt or sweater this season.

3.

4.

Express Long-Lasting Nail Lacquer will hit the market this Christmas season. Available only online and win-ter colors that will leave your polish lasting 2x longer!

5.

14

$39.90

$16.90

$49.90

Last season’s Express leather jacket has returned out of popularity and is

available in four colors: beige, dark brown, black and white.

Quilted Black Chain Purse is this year’s most loved accessory! Wear it over or across the shoulder as it compliments every outfit!

The Slub Sweater comes in a variety of colors designed to compliment any skin tone or hair color.

8.

7.6.

15

$129.90

$44.90

$49.90

9.

10.

The Portfino Shirt- what more can we say! Our best selling shirt returns this season in fresh new designs and colors! Pair it with dress slacks for a sleek dress outfit for the office or pair it with black skinnies for a night on the town. There’s a reason its the most-loved shirt- it appeals to any occasion!

Love Express Perfume is our number 10 item and makes the perfect last-minute stocking-stuffer. Also available in gift sets or lotion.

16

$49.90

$59.90

Find aLL oF our top 10 expert picks at Your LocaL

express retaiL store or onLine at express.com

40 HOURS and 30 MINUTESThe average time women spend shoe

shopping each year1 woman out of every 12 women own 100 or more pairs of shoes

12-average age girls start wearing heels

72%of women wear high heeled shoes

33% wear heels daily

37% of women surveyed continue to wear heels even though they find them very uncomfortable.

Women and their Shoes

1 out of 7 women admit to hiding at least one shoe

purchase from their spouse and more women buy shoes online then in-store retailers. $$$3.5 billion

spent annually on women’s foot surgery from high heel wear

The average woman owns 19

pairs of shoes, but only wears

3 of those pairs regularly.

17