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What pushes an English major from the Bay Area to become a buyer for one of the fastest growing companies in America? Suzanne Boggiano has worked for Costco for almost 20 years. A 1988 graduate of Santa Clara University, Boggiano majored in English literature and minored in business and retail. While still in high school, she worked in a local, family-owned clothing store. She reminisced about her days in the store—merchandising, working with customers, and interacting with her fellow employees. Yet Boggiano never planned for a career in retail.
When selecting a major, Boggiano chose to study what she loved but was careful not to forget the practical side of her education. She advised, “Pick something you enjoy doing. Any company that hires you will train you in what they need you to know.” Since working at Costco, Boggiano has learned about the inner workings of a retail business, as well as the variation of preferences among regions. The English major joked, “I’m not quoting a lot of Shakespeare in my job,” but added that her background has helped her immensely. She pointed out the need for communication and writing skills in her work. Boggiano credits her business and retail minors for the book knowledge she took with her into the field.
giano started working at Costco when she finished her degree at Santa Clara. “When I started, I thought it was a temporary job. The wages were really good and they paid the rent,” Boggiano commented. However, the part-time Christmas employee stayed on much longer than expected. “I started at a good time. The company was young—there were fewer than 100 warehouses—and they were starting to grow.” A new store in Danville, Calif. provided Boggiano the opportunity to develop her career further. At the new warehouse she was promoted to entry-level management and two years later to administrative manager.
Boggiano realized quickly, however, that she longed to return to the merchandising side of the business that had initially drawn her in. Boggiano opted to shift to the role of inventory control specialist. Her enthusiasm and talent led to her promotion to an assistant buyer of beer, wine, and liquor. In January of 2000 another opportunity for advancement was presented. A new store was opened in Atlanta, Ga. with a position as regional buyer for several states and Boggiano was chosen for the job. She now controls the buying for all the warehouses in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Puerto Rico.
On a daily basis, Boggiano reviews inventory in various warehouses, works with special programs, and deals with the legalities of buying for various states. Each area has its own distributor, making each store almost like a separate business, and with 47 in her region Boggiano is constantly kept on her feet. She notes that each store has its own specialties that must be monitored. “Wine that sells out in a day in Miami may not sell at all in Alabama. Different areas prefer different brands,” explains Boggiano. A main component of her job is what she describes as keeping up the “treasure hunt atmosphere.” Boggiano works with a rotating inventory system to keep products new and fresh; the goal is for shoppers to see new items each time they visit the store.
Despite the unintentional start to her career at Costco, Boggiano is more than happy with the opportunities the company has provided her. As one of seven buyers for wine, beer, and liquor, Boggiano has traveled to France, Italy, and Australia. Next year she plans to visit Spain and Portugal. The goal of such travels is to educate buyers about the products to an extent that they know more about the items than many of the vendors. Boggiano has visited vineyards during harvest and eaten dinner with the winemakers themselves. However, her job involves more than educating herself—it also includes educating the public. As a continually growing chain, Costco is breaking into new regions all the time. Around 20 new warehouses have sprouted up in recent months in cities and towns where residents had never even heard the conglomerate’s name. Part of Boggianno’s job is to introduce her company and encourage people to shop there.
Boggiano also gave advice to those looking to work in retail. She pointed out the necessity of being detail-oriented and “show-time ready” at all times. Buyers have to work constantly with vendors and suppliers, continually making sure that they are acting “tough but fair.” Boggiano explains that this is the only way to gain respect in the industry. Beyond negotiations, Boggiano highlighted the importance of being well-read in trade publications and magazines. Vendors do not always provide information on all their newest products, so sometimes a little research is necessary. Yet the most important aspect of retail for Boggiano was undoubtedly the ability to discover and stay ahead of trends. She explained that it is crucial to keep stores new and exciting, and to do this a buyer must be ahead of the curve before the competition catches up.
Boggiano has watched Costco grow from 100 to 500 warehouses and reach sales of nearly $60 billion. She praised the company’s development, noting that much of the corporation’s success is due to the attitudes and work habits of its employees. Costco promotes almost 100 percent from within and has one of the lowest turnover rates in the country. Around 90 percent of employees, both full- and part-time, receive health benefits. The company’s president, who earns only around $300,000 yearly, is often accused of being too generous with his employees for these benefit packages and promotion offers. However, the company lives by its own code of ethics, believing that if it takes care of its employees it will be able to reward its stockholders.
Values like these are responsible for Boggiano’s unexpectedly long-term career with Costco. The Santa Clara English grad is glad to be a member of such a progressive and successful corporation and sees only endless opportunities in her future. For Boggiano, a summer job has turned into the best career she could have ever hoped for.
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