Meet Sylvana
"As a Buying Assistant at Action, you have plenty of room to be creative."
Sylvana Tromp, Buying Assistant (Underwear & Accessories)About Sylvana
Sylvana Tromp studied Fashion & Management at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute. After working as a buying assistant and trying her hand in sales support for a while, she soon switched back to procurement. She enjoys the challenge of keeping an eye on the market, trends and competition and translating this into products. She has been a buying assistant for underwear and accessories at Action for six months now.
Why did you choose Action?
"I wanted to work at a Dutch company because of the open corporate culture, which is a great fit for me. I also wanted to work for a large, healthy company where I could be happy for years to come. Action suited those needs down to a tee. I've now been working at Action for six months. It's all I thought it would be and more. I knew Action was big, but I didn't think it was this big. I was given a tour of a distribution centre in my first week, but the sheer size of the distribution centre and the scale of the logistics processes surprised me."
What makes procurement at Action so much fun?
"Often, there's a design team between a buyer and the collection. That's not the case at Action. Our buying team decides which clothes and accessories will be available in the stores together with our suppliers. This offers plenty of room to contribute your own ideas and makes your work very creative. I work with different materials, prints and textures a lot. Although I have my own buying domain – underwear and accessories – you also get a lot out of the other groups within your category. A year later, for instance, you may see someone walking down the street in a printed garment or accessory that you bought in."
"Action is committed to quality and sustainability – it's not just something we're doing."
Can you make an impact with your work?
"I left my previous employer because they paid little attention to sustainability. Sustainability is very important to me; I'd like to buy a tiny house, to name just one example. At Action, we have a quality team that oversees the shape and fit of products, and we work with BCI-certified cotton. Our challenge day in, day out is to be able to offer affordable, high-quality and sustainable products. Because Action has so many customers, the positive impact you can have by making sustainable choices is enormous."
What has been the highlight of your few months here so far?
"I found the work excursion to Germany really interesting. We visited an Action store as well as other retailers. It's inspiring to see how other countries and brands in the industry are doing."
What are your plans within Action?
"I've landed on my feet. The atmosphere is relaxed and I like my colleagues. We hang out as a team of buying assistants, enjoying lunch on the beach in nice weather and more. For the time being, I'd love to stay and grow within the Buying department. There's plenty of room to be open about your ambitions with your managers. Before working out what I need from Action and what Action needs from me, we need to finish the summer collection for next year. I can't say too much about it yet, but there are a lot of exciting fabrics with beautiful textures involved!"