Kristina Khona may not have children yet, but she probably knows more about baby clothes than most parents. “It’s my job,” she says. Khona is a buyer of infant and newborn clothing for Hecht’s and Strawbridge’s, department stores located in the Eastern region of the United States. Hecht’s and Strawbridge’s—the largest division of the May Department Stores Company—owns and operates eighty department stores in eighteen markets including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, and Richmond.
Khona is responsible for driving sales of more than $15 million through her analysis of buying patterns, inventory sales, and pricing through strategic negotiations with vendors. “There’s a great sense of empowerment. I’m basically in charge of running a $15 million infant clothing business,” Khona says.
Her purchasing market extends from New Jersey to North Carolina. The purchases differ by market depending on the demographics of an area, she says. “The Southern states are more conservative, ‘church-going’ people, so I tend to purchase fancier dresses,” she says. “But our downtown D.C. and Philadelphia stores cater to a much faster customer, so I look for more urban styles.” A combination of sales analysis, knowledge of recent trends, and “retail instinct” help Khona know what will sell in certain markets.
Before working with Hecht’s and Strawbridge’s, Khona was a national corporate intern for Sears, where she was chosen as one of the top ten interns nationwide. She was able to spend six weeks at the corporate headquarters and six weeks in a retail store where she got a view of the retail industry “from top to bottom,” she says. “After my internship with Sears, I knew I wanted to be a buyer.”
Khona is excited about her future with Hecht’s and Strawbridge’s as she anticipates opportunities in buying offices for other areas in the department store. “Promotions result from movement to different buying offices that have larger sales volume or greater complexity,” she says.
As her newest venture, Khona has committed to serve as a mentor for Marriott School students. “The retail industry provides an excellent environment for women in business, with opportunities in merchandising, advertising, and finance,” Khona said. “I’d like to share my experiences and my knowledge of the industry with students.”
Khona graduated with University Honors in 1998 with a BS in business management from the Marriott School. She resides in Alexandria, Virginia.
