Open to opportunities

Christina Donato

@christinadonato

Message

Retail Buyer and VP Operations leading omnichannel merchandising for multimillion-dollar assortments.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a leadership role where I can own omnichannel buying and planning, build reporting and planning systems, and grow assortments across markets with strong financial discipline and cross-functional collaboration.

I’m a results-driven retail buyer with 10+ years of experience managing multi-million-dollar assortments across specialty, seasonal, and omnichannel environments. I’m known for building assortments from the ground up, pairing sharp trend instincts with financial discipline, and delivering concept-to-shelf results.

Most recently, as VP Operations & Buying, I own buying and planning across 4 global markets (US/Canada, Australia, European Union, United Kingdom). I designed and built buying and planning reporting infrastructure from the ground up, managed importing compliance and documentation for seamless cross-border execution, and led comparative pricing analysis to optimize logistics costs.

Previously, I led large-scale department performance—managing $25M and $95M in annual sales—while developing assortments across ~3,000 SKUs and guiding teams through planning, product development, and in-store execution. I’ve also driven measurable growth at Forman Mills, including $15.6M in sales growth and a 6% GM improvement over my tenure, and earned #1 Buyer company-wide for four consecutive years (2016–2019).

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

VP Operations & Buying

Current

Hilde&Phil

Jan 2026 - Present (5 months)

Own all buying and planning functions across 4 global markets (US/Canada, Australia, EU, UK), delivering annual financial and unit sales plans. Built buying/planning reporting infrastructure, managed cross-border importing compliance, and partnered with marketing and a focus group to accelerate sales growth in two underperforming markets.

Global Merchandising Assortment Planning Financial Planning Reporting & Analytics Vendor Management Omnichannel Strategy

Buyer – Spirit Christmas

Spencer's Gifts & Spirit Halloween

Sep 2024 - Dec 2025 (1 year 3 months)

Managed 3 departments (Gifting, Party & Paper, Consumables) representing $25M in annual sales and 35% of total Spirit Christmas revenue. Built complete assortments from scratch across ~3,000 SKUs, developed sales analysis tools adopted across the business, and partnered with Product Development and Visual Merchandising to guide in-store execution and exclusive items.

SKU Development Sales Analysis OTB Planning Trend Analysis Cross functional Leadership Visual Merchandising

Buyer – Spencer's Gifts

Spencer's Gifts & Spirit Halloween

Sep 2023 - Sep 2024 (1 year)

Managed 2 departments (Home Décor & Relaxation) representing $95M in annual sales and 10% of total company revenue. Built seasonal assortment plans 6–9 months ahead, developed exclusive products with Product Development to improve differentiation, and partnered on reorders/OTB management and financial planning.

Assortment Planning Financial Planning Trend Analysis Cross Functional Collaboration Retail Merchandising

Buyer

Forman Mills

Aug 2014 - Sep 2023 (9 years 1 month)

Managed 13 classifications representing $20M in annual sales and 40% of Home Department revenue (hard lines, seasonal, consumables, toys). Drove $15.6M in sales growth and improved GM% by 6% over tenure while expanding the department with 8 new categories, supporting 16 new store openings with assortment plans, and leading team oversight.

Category Management Assortment Planning OTB & Inventory Control Team Leadership Retail Operations

Associate Buyer

Forman Mills

Mar 2013 - Aug 2014 (1 year 5 months)

Oversaw performance of 3 product classifications, managing OTB plans, inventory levels, aged inventory, and markdown strategy in partnership with the Buyer, DMM, and Planner. Grew the candy and food business by $1M through targeted vendor negotiations and category expansion.

Inventory Strategy Category Expansion Retail Analytics

Assistant Buyer

Forman Mills

May 2012 - Mar 2013 (10 months)

Managed purchase orders and delivery schedules, maintained vendor relationships, and analyzed product performance at store and chain levels to optimize inventory allocation. Created seasonal assortment plans and coordinated marketing execution and promotional placement with store teams.

Purchase Order Management Product Allocation vendor relationship management Assortment Planning Supply Chain Coordination Retail Execution