In a new series from Endear, we interview retail experts to get their take on a variety of industry-specific questions - 20 of them, to be exact. Our latest interview in this series is with Katelin Allen. As Director of Merchandising at The Sharper Image.com, Katelin is championing how merchandising can become more customer-centric. Here, she dives into her 15-year long career in retail and what she believes the next twenty years will look like over the course of 20 Questions with Endear.

15

I've worked many retail jobs! My first was in high school working for Sears.

I loved being around product - playing with new items and seeing trends unfold.

Survival by putting customers first!

I love a friendly greeting, be genuine and show interest in me. You can tell when an associate is just out to make a sale versus helping someone.

A passion for people! Retail is centered around customer service, you have to enjoy being a problem solver for customers.

I remember doing a "preview" at [a] store one night, showing customers new designs that we were working on. One customer fell in love with the bag and gave me her number to call when it was available for sale. She was so happy when I called her 6 months later, she bought two! One for her and one for her friend's birthday!

hate Christmas music ;)

Neighborhood Goods - I love their approach to curation and storytelling.

Home Décor! I love finding inspiration for my new home.

Lake gear for my dog, George. The Orvis dog catalog gets me every time.

I love my local houseware shops for gifts and unique finds. Their offerings change constantly!

I'm from a small town so we would travel to Columbus, OH to do our back to school shopping. Going to Easton mall was such a treat! All the cool stores were there. A&F in 2005 was like whoa!

The coolest lambskin bomber jacket from the boutique I worked at in college. I wore it to every party, then ended up giving it to my little sister.

In 5 years: anything to support connected commerce. Brands that can seamlessly serve the customer on their own terms will win - BOPIS, same day delivery, omnichannel returns, etc. These things used to be a bonus, they are now expected.

In 20 years: There is so much tech and research behind sustainable materials. Those developments are going to change the world!

Resale! I love seeing big brands & department stores supporting this idea of circular fashion. Bringing that aspect of sustainability into mass retailers is huge!

Practice humility, that's how you learn.

merchandising

coffee is to Monday