WHO AM I?
Caleb Kruse
I turn playful ideas into products that pop — and sell. From toys and crafts to seasonal bundles and Amazon exclusives, I’ve built thousands of SKUs from concept to launch. I thrive at the intersection of creativity and commerce, blending trend-driven design with real-world retail strategy.
What I do?
✅ Assortment Strategy
✅ Trend Research & Forecasting
✅ Packaging Development
✅ Vendor & Sourcing Management
✅ Pricing, Margin, & Sell-Through Optimization
Whether it’s a 1¢ novelty or a $19.99 seasonal gift, I know how to build it, price it, and I bring energy, humor, and a love for clever product design to every project
Scroll down to explore my career journey, project samples, and creative work.
If you’re into smart products, clever storytelling, and creative strategy — we’ll get along just fine :)
MY JOURNEY WITH OTC
Catalog Planner (2020)
In February 2020, I joined Oriental Trading as a Catalog Planner, overseeing merchandising layouts for the Faith and Adult Party categories. One of the most rewarding aspects of this role was analyzing product performance based on previous catalog data—uncovering the unique factors that contributed to a product’s success. It gave me a deeper appreciation for strategic assortment planning and the nuances of customer engagement.
Beyond the work itself, the company culture stood out. The energy within the building was genuinely positive, and Oriental Trading quickly became a place I looked forward to coming to each day. Unfortunately, after more than six months in the role and amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, my position was eliminated during a company-wide restructuring.
Assistant Craft Merchant (2021)
In March 2021, a former colleague from my time in the catalog department helped me land an interview for a merchandising assistant position—and I was thrilled to return. I was hired to support the Crafts merchandising category, an energetic and creative space that aligned perfectly with my interests.
In this role, I contributed to new product development and leveraged my background in graphic design to provide thoughtful critiques and direction to our design team. I also managed the creation of all sample projects used in photography, ensuring every craft item told a clear, inspiring story to the customer.
Beyond the creative, I dove deep into assortment planning, tackled logistical challenges, and helped identify opportunities for business growth. When the lead merchant left in October 2021, I stepped up and was promoted to Associate Merchant of Crafts—a role that allowed me to fully take ownership of the category and drive strategy with confidence.
Associate Craft Merchant (2022)
After over a year of learning the ins and outs of the craft business, I was thrilled to be promoted. The role gave me greater ownership of the assortment strategy, validating my hard work and commitment. I led the development of over 1,500 product SKUs and assortment kits, focusing on expanding into blue ocean areas of the business.
My approach involved quarterly strategy planning, data-driven analysis, and a constant focus on increasing sales per SKU. I identified assortment gaps, tracked emerging trends, and optimized sub-departments with strong customer demand. I treat roadblocks like puzzles. Give me a struggling portion of the business, and I’ll figure out the fix, fast.
Beyond the craft category, I was also entrusted with leading the KITs project. I transitioned the project from a manual spreadsheet system to full integration within our STIBO PIM system—streamlining workflows and eliminating the workload of two team members. I also trained the merchant team on using Tableau dashboards to monitor kit performance and track inventory outages more effectively.
Toy/Jewelry/Stationery Merchant (2023)
In July 2023, I was promoted to Merchant over several exciting new departments: Non-Seasonal Toys, Stationery, and Jewelry. The move was unexpected but presented a great opportunity to take on fresh challenges and bring a new perspective to each category.
Later that year, I attended the New York Toy Fair to scout innovative product trends and sourcing opportunities. Since taking on this role, I’ve introduced creative themes into our toy assortments, including animals that live in garbage, hybrid creatures, and fresh takes on micro toys. One standout success was the launch of our Micro Duck series, which quickly became a top performer.
In addition to my category responsibilities, I was also selected to join a small merchant task force focused on curating an exclusive product assortment for Amazon. This initiative aimed to directly compete with one of our key Chinese rivals, Joyin, and helped strengthen our marketplace strategy.
Toy/Home Decor Merchant (2024)
In April 2024, the company underwent a restructuring, shifting my focus to Non-Seasonal Toys with light involvement in Home Décor. While this wasn’t a major change from my prior responsibilities—where I built themed assortments across several departments—it marked a strategic pivot. The emphasis became clear: we needed to significantly grow our toy offering and boost off-the-shelf purchasing. I don’t wait for someone to tell me what to do — I jump in. I take full ownership of my projects and see them through without handholding.
As part of this initiative, I was selected to travel to China to meet with key business partners and attend the 35th Canton Fair. The trip was unforgettable (including getting separated from my group on a flight from Taiwan and being voluntold to sing five straight karaoke songs), but also incredibly productive. It allowed me to streamline sourcing processes and select dozens of new items directly with vendors.
During this time, I helped drive significant growth in Character Toys—including ducks, finger puppets, mochi squishes—as well as plush and stress balls. It was exciting to build assortments based on what we knew customers wanted. That year, I drove over $2M in new product sales. One of our biggest wins? The Micro Vinyl Cat Duck that drove $20K in sales.
Toy Merchant (2025)
In late 2024 and early 2025, the company underwent another restructuring, this time driven in part by a leadership change in merchandising at the VP level. As a result, our structure shifted from merchandising by solution to merchandising by department. I now oversee the entire Toy category—both non-seasonal and seasonal.
In March 2025, I returned to the New York Toy Fair to scout innovative ideas that could push our value-driven toy categories forward and help identify new directions for the core business. This trip was also part of a broader company initiative to explore vendor alternatives outside of China, a search that became more urgent amid rising concerns over potential tariff increases.
Our team structure has since evolved into core pods, each with a sourcing specialist reporting to the merchant. When my assigned specialist retired in March 2025, I stepped in to manage both the merchandising and sourcing responsibilities for my category. Balancing both roles has been a challenge—but one that’s continued to sharpen my skills and teach me something new every day.
PRODUCT EXAMPLES
CRAFT SKUS & ASSORTMENTS
TOY SKUS & ASSORTMENTS
GETTING MY START
Part-Time Building Supervisor | YMCA of Greater Omaha (2019-2021)
In October 2019, I began working as a Building Supervisor at my local YMCA. The role was highly flexible, allowing me to maintain a healthy work-life balance while working 20-35 hours per week, depending on the number of substitution shifts I picked up.
This position encompassed a variety of responsibilities — acting as a receptionist, janitor, evening manager, and even a salesman. My favorite part was giving tours to prospective member and helping them decide to join the YMCA.
Alongside this role, I also took on freelance graphic design projects for several personal trainers at the YMCA. I created custom business cards, t-shirts, and stickers to help them grow their personal brands.
Marketing & Design Intern | Woodhouse Auto Family (2018)
During the Summer of 2018, I interned in marketing and design at Woodhouse Auto Family. This role gave me real-world experience applying what I’d learned in school.
I created social media content, designed promotional posters, and supported networking events.
My favorite moment? Starring in the end-of summer Woodhouse Mazda commercial.
Tiburon Swimming Pool (2013-2020)
One of my earliest jobs was lifeguarding at Tiburon Swimming Pool, where I worked each summer throughout high school and college. It was a great way to build responsibility, stay active, and earn money. In 2015, I was promoted to Assistant Manager, taking on additional responsibilities such as managing chemical levels, handling daily sales deposits, and addressing customer concerns. The following year, I also became the head swim coach. I loved helping swimmers grow, reach their goals, and find joy in the sport. My coaching duties included creating meet programs, running swim practice, and communicating with parents. Although I originally planned for summer 2018 to be my final season, I returned briefly at the end of Summer 2020.
MORE ABOUT ME
BEHIND THE SCENES
I’m a morning person — not by choice at first, but swimming taught me to love a 5 AM start. These days, I lift weights instead of doing laps, chasing strength.
Outside of work, I get weirdly passionate about the things I love: toys, my gym playlist, sushi, and my very dramatic cat, who spends most of his summer sunbathing in the garden I made just for him.
Most nights, I’m happiest rewatching Mamma Mia (blame my siblings and our endless summer marathons). I like things that are playful, a little nostalgic, and unexpectedly extra — just like the products I create.
I also build fairy gardens — like, full-on miniature worlds. One of them got big enough to earn its own Instagram (see below). This has also lead to world building creeping into my home in the form of Funko Pops, Labubus’, and Legos.
MINI WONDER GARDEN: A WORLD OF FANTASY AND HUMOR
Below is a visual of a fun hobby that came out of COVID. When you can't go out and about, you look for things to do… which might lead you to create a GIGANTIC fairy garden community at your parent's home. Well, that's at least what happened to me. My youngest sister and I have been doing this project for over three years. The plot where this community resides only grows with more residents, and the narrative behind all the experiences unfolds. I love this hobby since it is a great way to be outside and use creativity outside my personal life. i am working on getting images up for the 2025 season. I have been busy so this hasn’t been updated as much as it used to. I hope that you see something that makes you smile or chuckle. Enjoy!
CONTACT
Want some artwork made or have a business offering? Message me!
CALEB KRUSE © 2025