While in college considering a career in interior design, Kaitlin Cruzan applied for a job in the paint department of a local hardware store. Cruzan quickly developed an interest in merchandising and product maintenance and moved into the purchasing department prior to graduating with a degree in business administration.
Initially the purchasing department, Cruzan was taken out of her comfort zone and was responsible for six departments, including power tools, she had no prior experience with. Cruzan quickly learned the product categories, forging relationships that enabled Builders to executive single-location, one-day events that generated sales greater than $50,000 in the tools category alone.
With her success, Cruzan took on additional responsibilities, including appliances in 2018. Cruzan took an area that had been a high-inventory, low-margin category and oversaw a gross margin increase of 25% and a sales increase of 14% within the first 12 months. In 2019, Cruzan assumed responsibility for retail buying, which encompasses twenty departments, at Builders.
Kaitlin Cruzan will participate in a virtual panel discussion with the other Four Under 40 winners from 2:15-2:45 pm EST on February 24 at the 2021 ProSales Conference. For more information about the virtual event and to register, visit prosales100conf.com.
