No Limits Group, the parent company of A52 Warehouse, recently announced the hiring of Andrea Ciccone as in-house sales representative for select brands in Ontario. We caught up with Sean Miller, business development manager for No Limits Group to discuss the experience and skills Andrea brings to No Limits’ customers.
1. Tell us about Andrea Ciccone’s skills and her experience in Ontario’s retail community.
Andrea’s experience in this industry is a true testament to what can be achieved with passion, commitment, and hard work. The result is a career that took Andrea from front-line retail sales, to buying, to repping, both as an independent agent and a corporate in-house rep. My first meeting with Andrea dates back to late 2008 after she resigned from her job with a Toronto sales agency—where coincidently, she was the sub-rep for Obey among other brands—to start her own agency, Mint Closet Sales.
Our working relationship started there when, working with Wick Winder Distribution, I approached Andrea to add Comune to her existing roster of brands at Mint Closet that included Nikita, Holden, Lifetime, and Herschel. I wanted to work with her because she had great relationships. Not just the ability to sell-in well but the know-how to build over the long term.
2008/2009 was a tough year with increasingly difficult conditions at retail and by 2010 Andrea made the decision to close her agency to accept an in-house position at Quiksilver, spearheading the sales and distribution of, the then newly launched, Quiksilver Girls in Ontario. Andrea remained with Quiksilver until March 2013 when the announcement was made that Quiksilver’s junior divisions, Quiksilver Girls and QSW would be discontinued.
Nick Brown, our newest Division Managers (previous GM for Lifetime Clothing), acted quickly to reach out to Andrea to see if we could get her in the building (in Ontario at least). When one door closes another one opens and I’m sure we were not the only door opening. Luckily the No Limits Group presented the right mix of opportunity and brands and she decided to choose No Limits.
Andrea’s experience on all sides of the industry, her perseverance through the ups and downs, her professionalism, and her commitment to Ontario’s retail community are some of the many skills and traits that she brings to the table, and that we value as the newest member of the No Limits team.
2. What specific areas do you expect Andrea will focus on in her new position?
The short answer is sales, but more than that, Andrea will focus on solution-based strategies to support and benefit our partner retailers and brands at No Limits. We are confident in her ability to strengthen our partnerships and provide our valued retailers in Ontario with the best possible customer service and support.
The other focus is the development of The No Limits Group Toronto showroom. It’s been a concept that the team here has looked at for a while but the timing couldn’t be better. The space is right in Liberty Village Market, which is in a great area of town and is ideal for a home base. As Andrea sets up shop, there will be more details to follow on this project as well.
3. How do you think her hiring will benefit current and prospective No Limits Group Clients?
As Nick Brown stated, Andrea is the type of person that when asked about among the retail community in Ontario you hear nothing but good things. I think it’s because she just “gets it.” She’s lived through the ups and downs of the industry personally and has stood by her retailers and friends professionally, through every obstacle and challenge. She has an authenticity that we can all relate to which I feel is true to our business, and will ultimately benefit our clients, old and new.
We are advancing brands at No Limits and Andrea is key part of this equation. Ontario has 1/3 of Canada’s population and all the markets across Canada require a tailored solution to be successful. Adding Andrea is a statement of our commitment to the territory to show them we want to work with the right people who best understand how to grow the relationship over the long haul.
