Edwin Entner – Associate
RETAIL AND MERCHANDISING SPECIALIST

Expertise: Mr. Entner has 15 years experience in retail concept and product design, execution, and management, developing a diverse line with a wide range of price points to target consumers of varying age, gender, income, and demographic backgrounds. He specializes in creating unique retail environments (through themed branding, customized product mix, and superior merchandising) and branding products to appeal to the tastes of the target consumer demographic.

Education: B.S. SUNY Albany, 1992
Economics (Cum Laude)

After graduating with honors, Mr. Entner began as an independent salesman, selling popular hand-knit sweaters on college campuses for an importer. With the backing of the importer, he opened a successful import store in Rochester, NY for Christmas season.

He later moved to Colorado where he started his own retail clothing business, Down to Earth. He wrote and implemented a business plan for this new concept store featuring, organic and sustainable fiber clothing combined with imported goods - one of the first of its kind in the country. With limited starting capital, Mr. Entner created a profitable, eco-conscious business and developed sound sales skills in a very fickle, boom/bust seasonal resort environment. During this time, he developed strong management and training skills “on the job” overseeing his small staff. Despite very transient workforce, he built a reliable, responsible long-term team which consistently increased sales. Mr. Entner is a regular attendee of many of the major semi-annual fashion, gift and accessory shows, staying apprised of trends in the marketplace.

During this time, Mr. Entner was also the co-founder and owner of Hi-Fi Energy Wear, a distributor of a new electro-luminescent (EL) accessory line, taking the “technology in fashion” concept to the UK. He recruited and managed sales reps for Northern England/Scotland and Western England/Wales and initiated a successful sales marketing campaign at two fashion and two gift trade shows. His key accounts included high volume retail outlets: Selfridges, The London Science Museum, and Madame Tussauds.
In 2005, Mr. Entner started Substance Jeans. He consulted with pattern-makers, sample sewers, and wash houses to design a custom fit private label men's jeans made from organic cotton. Additionally, he collaborated with graphic designers on all aspects of branding: labels, hang tags, buttons, rivets, etc. Finally, he oversaw production at four independent factories.

In 2006, Mr. Entner focused his energies back on his retail store, Down to Earth. He expanded the store to three levels and doubled his retail square footage. He supervised the re-model to restore the character of the 120 year-old historic landmark building. This expansion included an upgrade in his sourcing and merchandising, moving new levels with better lines at higher price points to appeal to more affluent customers. This change effectively doubled store sales within 18 months.