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AKIRA Tech Stack

Multi-state women's fashion retailer scaling stores and eCommerce

Retail Apparel and Fashion Chicago, IL 1,001–5,000 employees Founded 2002 Privately Held

AKIRA operates 40+ physical stores across 12+ states plus eCommerce, built on a spreadsheet-heavy operations stack (Smartsheet, Monday.com, Excel, QuickBooks). The hiring surge—87 roles posted in the last 30 days, concentrated in sales and operations—tracks three parallel initiatives: new store openings, a rollout of AI-enabled inventory allocation, and process standardization. This acceleration suggests AKIRA is moving from boutique-style operations toward centralized supply-chain and retail-execution discipline.

Tech Stack 10 technologies

Core StackSmartsheet Monday.com Procore QuickBooks Zendesk ADP Microsoft Project Excel iSolved Skype

What AKIRA Is Building

◆Challenges

Inventory lifecycle management
Ensuring seamless store operations
Markdown reduction strategy
Inventory optimization
Recruiting and developing top-tier talent
Margin optimization
Heavy newness
Expanding store portfolio
Short product lifecycles
Inventory health

▲Active Projects

New store opening february 2026
Championing akira's 5 steps of selling
Seasonal open-to-buy planning
Accounting system enhancements and automation initiatives
Process standardisation
Rollout and integration of new ai-enabled allocation tool
Design future-state allocation model
Store openings and rebuilds
Major remodels across national footprint
New store location opening

Hiring Activity

Accelerating130 roles · 85 in 30d

Department

Sales

83

Ops

23

Construction

5

Finance

4

Product

4

Operations

3

Logistics

2

Design

1

Seniority

Manager

46

Mid

32

Junior

29

Senior

11

Director

7

Intern

1

Lead

1

Notable leadership hires: Retail Sales Director, Human Resources Director, Construction & Maintenance Lead

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About AKIRA

AKIRA is a Chicago-based women's apparel, footwear, and accessories retailer founded in 2002. The brand has grown from a single Bucktown boutique to a 1,000–5,000-person company spanning 40+ physical locations, a direct eCommerce channel, and a wholesale business. The leadership team (Eric Hsueh, Erikka Wang, Sarah Hughes, Gordon Liao, Mark Ricard) positions AKIRA as a trend-setting player in mid-market retail, with active expansion into new states. Current operational focus is on inventory optimization, margin protection, store expansion, and recruiting talent to support scale.

HeadquartersChicago, IL

Company Size1,001–5,000 employees

Founded2002

Hiring MarketsUnited States

Frequently Asked Questions

What is AKIRA's current tech stack?

AKIRA uses Smartsheet, Monday.com, Microsoft Project, QuickBooks, Excel, Zendesk, iSolved, ADP, and Skype for operations, finance, HR, and customer support.