The document is a resume for Doug Newstead outlining his extensive experience as a senior retail leader, holding executive positions at various large retailers where he implemented strategies to improve operations, reduce costs, increase sales and profitability. It details his career history spanning over 35 years in retail management, merchandising, operations and loss prevention roles at companies such as Katz-Rexall Group Canada, Rona, Sobeys, Lowes Canada, Best Buy Canada, Loblaws, Wal-Mart Canada and Loeb Inc.

1. D O U G L A S C. NE W S T E A D
41 Major William Sharpe Drive, Brampton, Ontario L6X 3J3
Phone: 905.796.1714 Cell: 416.721.2974 E mail: doug_newstead@hotmail.com
http://ca.linkedin.com/in/dougnewstead http://dougnewstead.com/
S E NI O R R E T A I L LE A D E R
Conceives and deploys customized strategies and concepts to eliminate hindrances,
delivering positive results on all metrics, boosting brand recognition
Unwavering, strategic and tactical pioneer of new concepts, embraces challenges to maximize consumer impact
and engagement to entice a buy. Competitive, energizes, drives accountability, inspires and empowers diverse
teams to excel, learn and provide exemplary service. Articulate and forthright communicator, encourages
opinions, instils harmony and fun. Initiates action to optimize retail operations, extract costs and grow market
share without compromising customer service.
Core business competencies include:
 Executive Leadership  Retail Operations  Resource Management
 Budget / P&L  Merchandising  Vendor Management
 Retail Real Estate  Retail Metrics / Demographics  Continuous Improvement
 Product Sourcing  Procurement  Change Management
 Business Reengineering  KPI / Benchmarking / TQM  Talent Management
 Training & Development  Collective Bargaining  Marketing / Advertising
P R O F E S S I O N A L E X P E R I E N C E
Katz-Rexall Group Canada Toronto, Ontario 2013 –2015
Mandated to reorganize, and develop the centralized Retail Support Services Team, improving the effectiveness of
new store openings, acquisitions, store communications, labour management, inventory control, retail processes.
National DIRECTOR Retail Support Service 2013 – 2015
 Developed parameters, and functionality of Perpetual Inventory for JDA Implementation
 Devised Inventory Reduction ROCE Improvement Processes, Score Carding, Measurements
 Designed, Configured, Tested, Piloted Work Force Optimization/ Customer Demand Labor Management
 Aligned, Streamlined and Improved Centralized Store Communication Tools, and Methods
 Identified, Developed, and Deployed Operational Process Improvement Opportunities, and Efficiencies
 Lead, and Coordinated the New Store Opening, Set Up Team
 Built Tools, and Process Maps for Acquisition On Boarding
 Introduced Controls, Benchmarking, Score Carding, Programs for Strategic Cost Savings
Rona Home Improvement Canada, Toronto, Ontario 2009 – 2012
 Acknowledged for raising merchandising standards, propelling comp sales by 3.2%, eradicating costs, elevating
productivity, decreasing labour overhead and reducing obsolete inventory.
Held the following 2 progressive positions:
DIRECTOR OF MARKET DEVELOPMENT, Greater Toronto Area 2011 – 2012
DIRECTOR OF BIG BOX OPERATIONS 2009 – 2012
 Conceived and executed a fundamental restructure of merchandising to eliminate inconsistency and solidify
customer intrigue forcing an uplift in sales through basket purchase growth.
 Identified a training/show-and-tell store working with all staff to seek opinions and merchandising
champions.
 Oversaw a dramatic re-merchandise, later embraced as the corporate store merchandising model, raising
sales through ad presentations, merchandising and display productivity.
 Successfully combated increasing wages as a percentile of sales, calculating and implementing a new labour
productivity model based on numerous metrics.
 Developed a store specific sales and labour scheduling tool, initiating management training on tool
utilization.
 Catapulted productivity by $6.00 sales per labour hour (5%) while reducing wages as a percent of sales by
.7%, improving EBITDA by 1%.

2.  Mandated to assess the impact of Lowes during their aggressive penetration in the GTA, impacting sales in
specific categories and stores.
 Performed an assessment of Rona vs Lowes strengths and weaknesses, devising an individual store
merchandising, marketing and operational plan.
 Implemented and communicated a strategic plan deployed per store, reversing sales trends to positive
comp sales. Concept adopted across all stores nationally.
 Realigned disjointed and inaccurate inventory control policies to alleviate overstock, low margins, shrink, out
of stock, poor cash flow, low turns, and labour wastage.
 Devised, authored and enforced a new SOP inventory handling standard combined with store management
auditing tools.
 Fortified the teams’ adherence to the new inventory control SOP and initiated a liquidation of obsolete
inventory through creative merchandising and marketing programs.
 Reduced inventory level by $8.1 million / $250,000 per store, decreasing shrink by .2%, bolstering in-stock
to 98% in the GTA.
 Influenced cultural differences between large and medium box teams to alleviate decreasing customer
satisfaction scores, eliminating barriers, balancing team capabilities to boost staff morale and focus on the
customer.
 Utilized the GALOP Marcus Buckingham philosophy to cross-pollinate store management combined with an
incentive program based on KPI’s.
 Eliminated the cultural divide, strengthening collaboration, idea sharing and morale by 10 BPS, uplifting
customer satisfaction scores by 15% in 6 months.
Sobeys Inc., Toronto, Ontario 2008 – 2009
VICE PRESIDENT OPERATIONS, Price Chopper
 Reinvigorated the undercapitalized and floundering Price Chopper banner instigating sweeping business model
changes based on innovative concepts requiring limited investment.
 Negotiated extensive vendor funded partnerships to deliver enticing in-store merchandising and racking
including the Power Deal Wall and a store specific international food aisle.
 Propelled In Store Display sales from $11 to $15 per square foot, offsetting increased labour costs through
productivity and margin.
 Halted spiralling controllable expenses from 18.3% to 17.8% through strict enforcement and accountability for
expenditures contributing to an EBIT improvement from $5.7 to $13.6 million.
 Offset the impending significant increase in the regulated minimum wage forecasted to impact profitability by
$2 million.
 Reviewed wages and salaried positions redesigning staff scheduling and organizational structure per store
to reduce the impact of pending salary increases.
 Established and facilitated management training sessions on the new labour productivity and scheduling
tools.
 Escalated sales labour per hour productivity from 217 to 224 or .3%, counteracting the $2 million minimum
wage increase in the first fiscal year with no erosion to profit.
 Reinvigorated the management structure replacing ineffective staff with performance-driven leaders in
key positions.
Lowes Canada, Toronto, Ontario 2007 – 2008
STORE/DISTRICT MANAGER TRAINING PROGRAM
 Handpicked to attend the management/leadership program in Mooresville, North Carolina with a 95% grade
average, completing in-store training in Buffalo, New York.
 Employed “Train the Trainer” methodology during pre-opening preparations and the Canadian launch of the
first 2 Lowes stores.
Best Buy Canada, Toronto, Ontario 2004 – 2007
DISTRICT MANAGER
 Directed the opening of 3 new stores including the Canadian flagship Eaton Centre location, smashing Best Buy
grand opening sales records, generating $3 million in the first week, contributing to annualized 2007 sales of
$360 million.
 Appointed to the underperforming Sherway Gardens store, considered the lowest performing in the company,
instituting radical changes contributing to an uplift in revenue from $41 to $45 million, repositioning the store
as the #1 store within 7 months.
 Elevated operating process scores in all key measurements and performance audits including 95% in-stock, 95%
price audit and 98% labour of plan.

3. Loblaws Companies East, Toronto, Ontario 2000 – 2004
Held the following 2 progressive positions:
SENIOR DIRECTOR & GENERAL MERCHANDISE MANAGER, Eastern Canada 2001 – 2004
SENIOR DIRECTOR, Retail Loss Reduction 2000 – 2001
 Introduced fundamental changes to loss prevention, implementing 52 retail operation processes contributing
to a $35 million reduction in shrink.
 Strengthened inventory management control processes launching various initiatives to reduce inventory by $30
million.
 Partnered with vendors to develop and fund new front end check out racks, clip strips, side kicks, and profit
panels contributing to a $10 million revenue increase.
Wal-Mart Canada, Toronto, Ontario 1995 – 2000
DISTRICT MANAGER, Eastern Ontario
 Accredited for unprecedented leadership reviving stock allocation, feature productivity and executing
innovative seasonal promotions, driving sales from $149 to $550 million in 11 stores.
 Analyzed controllable labour costs extracting expenses reducing overhead from 11.2% to 9.8% and total
expenses from 20.85% to 18.3% in 3 years, leveraging 50% additional wage costs to sales increases in
percentile.
 Lowered inventory from $61 to $53 at cost per square foot, increasing turns to 12.5% per annum, maximizing
merchandising opportunities and events, combined with effective markdown strategies.
Loeb Inc., Ottawa and Sudbury, Ontario 1991 – 1995
DIRECTOR, Retail Operations (Ottawa/Sudbury Divisions)
 Led retail operations for 14 Ottawa stores generating $220 million and 21 stores in Sudbury earning $300
million.
Weston Bakeries Canada, Toronto, Ontario 1983 – 1990
Held the following 3 progressively responsible positions:
GENERAL SALES MANAGER 1988 – 1990
BRANCH SALES MANAGER 1987 – 1988
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER 1983 – 1987
 Acquired comprehensive knowledge of food production and sales tactics to various national, regional and
independent grocery stores.
Miracle Food Mart, Sudbury, Ontario 1979 – 1982
ASSISTANT MANAGER, GROCERY & PRODUCE MANAGER
E D U C A T I O N
John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec 2012
Executive Management Course Mini MBA Program (16 days)
Schulich School of Business & Ted Roger’s School of Business Management, Toronto, Ontario Ongoing
Various leadership and management courses
Cambrian College of Applied Arts, Sudbury, Ontario DIPLOMA: Business Administration
Strong proponent of continuing education, completing the following selected courses:
Effective Supervision  Human Resource Management
Edward Deming Continuous Improvement Management  Steven Covey Effective Leadership