Retail Management Institute Internship Experience
The Retail Management Institute teams with today's retail innovators and national brand leaders to prepare its students for success in the retail industry.
The Retail Management Institute at Santa Clara University is one of the oldest business school-based retail management programs in the world. We have a strong world-wide reputation for our retail education and research. We have a very strong undergraduate class who specialize in a minor in retail management every academic year.
The internship experience has been an important cornerstone of our Retail Studies Program. The most important aspect of the internship has been a hands-on work experience and have been an invaluable from a formative and development perspective for our students.
Amazing Retail Internships
Retail Management Institute
Retail Management Institute Internship Spotlight 2024
Natalya Arnest reflects on her transformative summer as a Retail Vendor Manager Intern at Amazon. She shared, “This summer, I had the pleasure of interning at Amazon as a Retail Vendor Manager Intern in the Home Improvement Group! Not only did I research and strategize for my summer project, Defining and Expanding the Home Improvement Group’s ‘Subscribe and Save’ Program, but I was also able to learn and understand managing 3rd party selling on Amazon.com which involves all sides of the business from running marketing activations to managing a PnL. The best part of my experience was working with and learning from the finest professionals across various teams. I am incredibly grateful for this experience and cannot wait to apply all that I have absorbed to SCU and future roles!"
Lexi Wangsness summer with Thelios LVMH was a deep dive into the world of luxury retail. Here’s how she summed up her experience: “Working for Thelios LVMH was one of the most invaluable experiences I have had thus far. I got to work with Sales Ops and Client Experience. Some of my favorite projects included planning and putting on our semi annual market week which are sales events in NY & LA as well as creating monthly sales reports for the LVMH brand portfolio. Along with LVMH’s intern day and career fair, I got to learn from talented industry professionals and understand luxury retail under the world’s largest luxury conglomerate. I am so grateful to have gained such knowledge, experience, support and connections through Thelios and the entire LVMH group this summer!”
"RMI has provided me with invaluable connections and experiences that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Its extensive network has helped me figure out more specifically what I aspire to do in my career in retail, and I look forward to being able to help future RMI students as a Santa Clara alumna. Through this program, I have learned that retail is NOT a dying industry, and there are so many changes and evolutions that will continue to progress in the dynamic world of retail. I look forward to applying my knowledge from RMI to my future career positions."
Retail Management Institute Internship Spotlight
Molly Shannon spent her summer exploring the forefront of digital merchandising at Adidas as a Digital Visual Merchandising Intern! Here's what she said: “This summer, I have had the incredible opportunity to work at adidas as a Digital Visual Merchandising Intern! In this role, I have focused on enhancing the consumer experience and driving engagement through key digital marketing channels, primarily the adidas mobile app and adidas.com. I specialize in the footwear category, where I’m responsible for driving product sell-through, particularly in the running division. My focus is on implementing holistic merchandising strategies based on product data and consumer behavior, optimizing site experience and tools, and strategically placing content— all in close collaboration with key stakeholders. An exciting project I have been involved in this summer is the Ultraboost 5X Running Shoe campaign launch. Before the campaign launch, I collaborated with my team to merchandise the end-to-end consumer journey for the Ultraboost 5X. Our objective was to ensure high-quality consumer visits and drive engagement to achieve our target conversion rates. After two weeks post-launch, our team worked cross-functionally with business analytics and product data teams to assess the performance of the Ultraboost 5X. This analysis allowed us to implement targeted strategies based on data, which aimed to boost demand, increase site traffic, and enhance conversion rates in preparation for the campaign's second activation. Overall, as a runner myself, it was incredibly fulfilling to work on a project that not only aligned with one of my personal passions, but also addressed a critical need for my adidas team. Contributing to something I’m deeply invested in made the experience all the more impactful! I love the work environment and culture at Adidas because I have been given the freedom to ask questions and learn. More importantly, I've been encouraged to be myself and embrace my curiosity as a young professional!”
Maya Stenho reflects on her impactful summer internship at Williams-Sonoma, Inc., where she worked with the Pottery Barn Teen team in the Textiles Department. She notes, “This summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Williams-Sonoma, Inc. on the Pottery Barn Teen team as a merchandising intern in the textiles department. The reason I applied for this internship was because I have always had interest in pursuing a career in the future that was more business oriented but also knew I wanted to work retail, so this felt like the perfect fit. I felt that through being a Psychology major and minoring in Retail Management this internship could only strengthen my future goals career wise. My work focused primarily on Pottery Barn Dorm due to it being back-to-school season and with my recent experience moving out of a dorm, which they considered valuable insight. My routine included analyzing core reports, reviewing product concepts, attending diverse meetings, shadowing team members, and working on a final project. I particularly enjoyed the varied meetings, from data-driven product assessments to color palette discussions. A standout experience was presenting a final project to the CEO and executives, allowing me to showcase my passion for the field. The experiences I learned are invaluable and it was so empowering to work on an all-female team and see the inner workings of a company I grew up buying from. This has only made me want to continue to pursue a career path in retail and I am excited for what is to come in the future!”
"I personally credit my internship experience with helping me to decide to pursue a career in this industry. I remain committed to the purpose of the RMI because I see the value this experience has had both for me personally as well as many other students I have observed benefit from this experience"
Retail Management Institute Internship Spotlight
Rachel Hwang shares her experience from interning at Target, noting, “My favorite part of interning at Target has been getting to experience the care, grow, win together culture. I helped build team culture at T1309 through organizing and leading store huddles, managing projects within HR, and co-leading departments throughout the store. I am so thankful to the retail management institute for helping me find such an incredible opportunity and I am excited to share that I have accepted a full time position as an executive team leader following graduation!”
Jordan Pope had an incredible summer interning at KEEN Footwear! Reflecting on the experience, she shared, “I had the best time interning at KEEN footwear this summer! I was the learning and development intern helping out with internal communications and learning modules but got the opportunity to extend my internship and work on a project for the sustainability team proposing a restoration and repair program. With weekly informational sessions I learned so much about the footwear industry! One of my favorite sessions was on footwear design and product management. During my internship I got the opportunity to volunteer at multiple KEEN events throughout Portland and was able to engage with 100s of KEEN fans and talk about product and technology with them!”
Manini Kapoor reflects on her summer as a Finance Intern at Roche, sharing, “As a Finance intern at Roche this summer, I gained valuable experience in corporate finance and the healthcare industry. I was supporting the innovation finance team in clinical Development and Medical Affairs(CDMA) where I worked on budget analysis and forecasting, capital expenditure auditing, and automating financial reporting processes. Furthermore, I collaborated with various other departments in finance and non financial teams. I gained experience working in not only cross functional teams but also a global work environment. One of my projects was streamling a financial process for travel budget yearly forecasting models that contributed to a significant time saving initiative. Another favorite part of my experience was the wonderful work environment at Roche. There was a close community amongst employees and interns with a lot of events and professional skill building resources. Overall, I enhanced not only my technical finance knowledge but also professional skills. I had the best internship experience I could have asked for and an amazing summer at Roche!”
Meet Betsy Delaney - she spent her summer at Crate and Barrel, diving into the world of merchandising as a Merchandising Intern. Here’s how she described her experience: “During my time as a merchandising intern at Crate and Barrel, I had the opportunity to work on a key project focused on pricing and assortment analysis for the Canadian market, specifically in the decor and textiles categories. This project was particularly exciting as I presented my findings and recommendations to senior executives, providing them with actionable insights to guide strategic decisions. In addition to this project, I actively participated in cross-functional meetings and closely collaborated with teams in planning, product design, sourcing, marketing, e-commerce, and visual merchandising. During weekly sales calls, I also provided valuable data and insights to inform senior management on key merchandising decisions.
This experience has profoundly shaped my career goals, as it confirmed my passion for the retail and home space. I love how merchandising allows me to blend my creative and analytical skills to make impactful decisions. I’ve also learned the importance of asking questions and how vital collaboration is in this role. Working closely with colleagues and cross-functional teams has shown me firsthand how essential teamwork is in achieving common goals and driving business success.”
Meet Lucie Edwards - she spent her summer at AleSmith, a brewing company based in San Diego, California. Here’s how she described her experience: "This summer I interned with AleSmith, a brewing company based in San Diego, California. Because the company is so small, I was able to make meaningful contributions to their marketing efforts. I really did a little bit of everything! I created DTC email and SMS campaigns, led product shoots, designed graphics, made posters, and supported the social media team. I learned so much about how retail companies operate, especially in the alcohol industry! There are so many specific guidelines that you need to follow and work around that I had never thought about before! For example, we can only ship our beer (even non-alcoholic beer) within California, but we can distribute it to other retailers out of state."
Ann Waldo had an unforgettable summer interning at Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC)! As an HDD Marketing & Business Planning Intern, she worked closely with mentors and executives, diving deep into the HDD industry. Reflecting on her experience, Ann shared, "In June 2024, I began an eleven-week Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Marketing & Business Planning Internship with Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) in San Jose, CA under Tammy Nguyen in the HDD BU. At the start of the internship, I had much to learn about the HDD Industry. On day one, my fellow intern Genevieve Boken and I met with TAEC mentors who wholeheartedly wanted to help us quickly come down the learning curve on the industry so that our research, analysis and final presentation would be as impactful as possible. We had the privilege of working with and presenting to TAEC executives from the United States, Japan, and Latin America. Our final project investigated and analyzed the 3.5” Internal HDD market in the Americas to recommend strategies and initiatives to increase its market share and profitability. This exciting project challenged us each day in areas which let our key skills and interests shine: marketing, business analytics, Spanish language and culture, and retail industry knowledge. To learn more about my experience as an HDD Marketing & Business Planning Intern, I have linked my Internship reflection on their HDD Storage Blog."
Kaitlyn Perry had an amazing summer interning as a Product Marketing Intern at Workday! Reflecting on her experience, she shared, “This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern as a Product Marketing Intern at Workday. I was able to work with the Workday Student PMK team, which is a product we use here at Santa Clara University to register for classes, pay tuition, track our degree progress, and much more. My day-to-day involved creating content and completing organizational work for the annual Workday Rising conference, researching competitors with a competitive intel project, and creating sound bites for my team to use for future marketing efforts, among other smaller projects throughout the 12 weeks. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to try out product marketing and I can’t wait to gain more experience as I return to Workday as an Associate Product Marketing Manager.”
Maria interned this summer at RingCentral, where she gained extensive cross-functional experience under the guidance of three different managers across the Public Relations, Social Media, and Events departments. Reflecting on her experience, she noted, "In the PR realm, I honed my writing skills by crafting press releases, blogs, and internal communications. My role in social media involved creating engaging copy for various platforms including LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I also took the initiative to develop a strategy for modern TikTok and reel-style videos, which I presented to interns nationwide through a comprehensive deck. This presentation led to a project where I guided interns in content creation, fostering collaboration and innovation. My responsibilities extended to working closely with C-level executives, where I scripted, shot, and edited marketing campaigns. In the events sector, I supported strategic planning by creating landing pages, drafting pre- and post-event emails, and developing outreach sequences for the sales team. This multifaceted internship provided me with a holistic understanding of corporate communications and marketing strategies in a dynamic tech environment."
Catherine Rayos interned at L'Oreal this summer, where she shared her experience working as a marketing intern for NYX Professional Makeup. "This summer, I worked as a marketing intern for L'Oreal. I advised and worked on creating marketing campaigns for NYX Professional Makeup. My main responsibilities included pulling and analyzing both internal and external data, as well as creating and presenting slide decks with comprehensive marketing plans for various launches for the Face category. I've previously worked as a social media intern for BlinkFreight and a Beauty Advisor for Sephora. I believe both of these experiences shaped my ability to be a successful contributor to the team. From this incredible experience, I was able to get into the marketing management trainee program and will continue my career with L'Oreal."
Natalie Graham interned at Gallo Wine and Spirits this past summer as part of their Sales Leadership Development Program. Describing her experience, she said: "This past summer, I had the amazing opportunity to intern for Gallo Wine and Spirits as a part of their Sales Leadership Development Program. The program was centered around developing sales skills as well as merchandising the company's extensive product portfolio. Some of my responsibilities included assisting in the management of over 20 sales accounts across the Bay Area, presenting sales data to clients, and expanding the merchandising reach of all products. Every single day was filled with marketing amazing products like High Noon, New Amsterdam Vodka, and the company's expensive wine collection. The experience was extremely rewarding, contributing to the development of my professional skills, leadership qualities, and understanding of a very unique industry. I gained invaluable experience within the sales and merchandising industry that I hope to apply to my future career path!"
Immersed in the fast-paced world of digital marketing, Sophia Benitez took on the role of Digital Marketing Intern at the Hackensack Main Street Business Alliance (MSBA), where she made a lasting impact on the organization’s online strategy. She shared, " As a Digital Marketing Intern for the Hackensack Main Street Business Alliance (MSBA), a Special Improvement District (SID), set up for local property owners and businesses, I boosted the organization’s online presence to better connect with the local community. Working closely with the Executive Director (John T. Peters), the Marketing Manager (Gaby Ramirez Merino), and outside vendors, I led multiple projects that created engaging social media content for different restaurants, stores, coffee shops, or events happening within the community, such as grand openings and small business meetups. Additionally, I created Instagram reels that were "shorts" for the podcast, The Main Thing Show, and One Minute on Main, which were on-minute videos with different companies in Downtown Hackensack. With 91 stories, 4 posts, and 14 reels, I contributed to major improvements in our digital presence, such as a 209% increase in accounts reached and a 216% jump in impressions, while also growing our followers by 3.4% (ending at 5914 followers by the time I left) in less than 2 months. These results showed the impact of our approach and gave me hands-on experience in digital marketing, from planning and creating content to tracking the success of each campaign. My time with MSBA solidified my goal of building a career in marketing, combining both creative and analytical skills. Before this internship, I gained experience in customer service as a sales associate at Anthropologie. Although it wasn’t an internship, this position taught me how to work effectively with customers, handle different personalities, and provide a positive shopping experience. It helped me develop strong communication skills and the ability to work well with people, which were useful when working with local business owners at MSBA. These experiences, from retail to marketing, have shaped my interest in marketing, where both people skills and creativity are essential."
Maya Jhaveri shares insights from her diverse internship experiences, where she honed her skills in social media marketing and business strategy: "During my recent internship at Merazine in Santa Clara, CA, as a Social Media Marketing Intern (July 2024 – September 2024), I developed and implemented targeted social media strategies in collaboration with the marketing team. My efforts resulted in a 150% increase in followers over just eight weeks. By analyzing social media metrics and identifying trends, I was able to optimize campaigns, which led to over 40,000 impressions. This hands-on experience sharpened my ability to create data-driven marketing strategies, fueling my interest in pursuing a career in digital marketing with a focus on social media analytics.In my previous work experience, I successfully managed multiple roles that enhanced my marketing, creative, and business skills. As the Business Owner of Anjuna in Austin, TX (September 2022 – Present), I executed targeted market strategies that increased brand visibility on social media and generated over 14,000 customer leads in just six months. My marketing initiatives resulted in sales growth exceeding $7,000 within the same period. Additionally, as a Stylist Assistant at Dinalava Barros in Milan, Italy (October 2023 – December 2023), I collaborated closely with brands to achieve marketing goals and enhance audience engagement by 30%, while providing hands-on support for major photoshoots. Furthermore, during my internship as a Social Media Correspondent for IES Abroad (September 2023 – December 2023), I curated Instagram content that increased engagement by 35% and reached 22,000 additional prospective students. I also gained design and production experience as a Designer and Intern at Lila Shyam Exports in Ajmer, India (July 2023 – September 2023), where I worked with global clients to ensure seamless design execution from concept to production."
Seina Campbell reflects on her summer internship experience with Gallo, where she worked as a Sales and Merchandising intern and gained valuable insights into the retail industry and market strategies: "This summer I had the privilege of working as a Sales and Merchandising intern with Gallo in their High Noon Division in the Bay Area. In this role, I gained valuable insights into what it takes to effectively sell a product and how complex the supply chain can be. Each day I went to various retail settings where I did several activities such as checking in with store managers, upkeeping our merchandise on the shelves, building product displays, etc. One of my favorite projects was researching and analyzing competitor sales during the summer to be able to present new strategies on how High Noon can gain more of the market share. The Gallo team was incredibly welcoming, friendly, and always eager to answer my questions. Through this experience, I discovered my passion for working in a fast-paced environment like the retail industry, and I'm excited to continue learning and growing in this field!"