ZingTrain Merchandising Specialist

As a teenager living in Ann Arbor, Becky was awed by the visual splendor of Zingerman’s Delicatessen and imagined herself creating bold signage and dynamic displays for the business. After years of experience in the arts (theater production and design, as well as fine arts) and upon receipt of her Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities from the University of Michigan, Becky realized her dream and joined the Zingerman’s team.

Becky began her career at Zingerman’s Practical Produce, where she was involved with the store’s merchandising, purchasing and non-perishable product line development. She found the transition from working in the theater to working in a retail store to be quite natural. According to Becky, ìYou’ve got to look at a retail space as though it were a stage set. People are coming in for an entertainment experience. All five senses must be stimulated in order to involve the customer in a complete [Zingerman's] experience.î

From September of 1997 to October of 2002, Becky held the position of Merchandising Manager of Zingerman’s Delicatessen. In this capacity, she was responsible for coordinating, designing and producing the monthly promotions for the Deli as well as countless daily merchandising materials, from flyers to menus to environmental signage. She truly enjoyed designing and creating what she believes was a continually exciting and surprising shopping environment.

In the latest incarnation of her professional life, Becky is pursuing free lance opportunities as well as continuing to work for Zingerman’s as the ZingTrain Merchandising Specialist. In this capacity, she is able to focus on more strategic, long-range projects such as environmental design and merchandising of new ZCoB businesses, as well as consulting on projects which involve unique materials.

ìWhat I find is so incredible about the creative process is the ways in which ideas evolve along the way. Getting inspiration from other people here at the Deli, from customers, from objects, from the products themselves, from the space… they all come into play. Fluidity and willingness to discover new possibilities along the way is probably the single most important element in successful merchandising. Also, you just have to do it!