Jacinth Meskers ('07) and Quyen Le ('07) interned at Orchard Supply Hardware.
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Going into the internship interview process, we did not know what it was going to lead us to. Our hopes were to have an incredible summer where we could gain retail experience through handson projects. We made our decision to accept the offer made to us by Orchard Supply Hardware based on two key reasons: the impression given during the interview and the potential project proposals for the summer. OSH presented themselves as a growing company where we could impact the company in a significant way, even if it was for only 10 weeks.
Jacinth’s Perspective:
I accepted the internship position within the merchandising department focusing on business strategies. My project for this 10 week internship was special services, specifically special orders. A tacit example of a special order would be the following: A customer walks into the store and is interested in remodeling their doors. They order doors for their home, and since the retailer does not hold inventory, the doors are ordered and shipped to the store to the customer’s specifications.
Within retailing, special orders are an increasing sector, especially in the home improvement industry. Special orders are very appealing for retailers because they do not have to carry inventory, there are advantages in helping to generate larger returns on space, and they expand the product offering. The goal behind this project was to create a new special order center within the stores, expand current categories and look into new categories without increasing inventory costs. In order to achieve these goals, I contacted vendors in categories where there was room for expansion, met with each of these vendors, and from their data and information created a financial model, detailed process map on how to execute each category and vendor, and a pilot rollout plan for the actual project.
This internship experience has exceeded every one of my expectations. The work I have contributed to OSH and the significance it has to the company was something that I never thought I would have the chance to experience. I look back in amazement over these last 10 weeks at the skills I have learned and experiences had. I feel that through this internship I have grown leaps and bounds intellectually. Those leaps and bounds were due to the extraordinary staff whose help and support led us to success this summer.
Quyen’s Perspective:
At the start of my internship experience, I was summoned to work within the business strategies department for a traffic counter initiative. This project was set on high importance, therefore the company wanted to push this initiative as quickly as possible. Traffic counters are devices that are installed at all entrance and exits to tally how many customers are visiting our store locations. The data from these counters provide substantial information to help the company understand their customer base and outline additional methods for efficiency and effectiveness within all departments of the organization. For example, the data from these traffic counters will help with appropriate associate staffing periods, and help OSH understand if their new marketing strategies are a driver to traffic in stores. In my final seven weeks, I negotiated for free pilots between both vendors which saved OSH approximately $30,000, and oversaw the beginning pilot process. The goal behind this initiative was to perform a pilot rollout for 10 store locations, a financial model, and a process map for a complete 86 store rollout.
As I look back at everything I have accomplished, I truly had full ownership of this initiative. It is amazing to know that what I personally did in 10 weeks will drastically help the future of the business. I would have never guessed that I could get the opportunity to work with our senior executives and make a difference within the organization. I now realize how much I have grown professionally as well as personally through this wonderful experience. I have built relationships and learned so much, that these past 10 weeks will never be forgotten. I am grateful for this experience and wish that all the juniors are lucky enough to receive the same opportunity Jacinth and I did.
As we come to the end of our internship and assigned projects, we have the opportunity to look back to the knowledge we have gained and what we have accomplished. We have had the opportunity to dine and network with senior executives, work on an impactful project that may roll out to all OSH stores, and experience first hand the benefits of a small corporate environment. After completing the internship process, we have some valuable advice for the junior class: “Don't underestimate your true potential; you never know what it may result in.”
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