Associate Category Merchant - Cranberry Corporate Office

Job Summary

The Associate Category Merchant works closely with our Category Merchandising team and external partners to lead assigned categories and maximize financial objectives. Specific duties include all aspects of category management, including but not limited to product assortment decisions, pricing and promotional strategies, and managing vendor relationships.

Job Description

• Experience Required: 1 to 3 years merchandising experience
• Experience Desired: Retail, Inventory Operations and Management.
• Experience Required: MS Excel at intermediate level (pivot tables, VLookUp)
• Education Desired: Bachelors Degree in Business or related field

Job Responsibilities

• Actively manage assigned categories to achieve annual financial goals including sales objectives, retail gross margin, shrink, known loss, store inventory turns and service level, making strategic and tactical adjustments as necessary.
• Assist in the development of strategic plan and annual operating plan/budget in accordance with LOB strategic goals and in cooperation with the Director.
• Monitor trends in new products, consumer behavior, market share, competition, fixturing and store layouts to inform decisions and initiate innovation.
• Monitor product selection and selling in all classes of trade.
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with Centers of Excellence, ensuring accountability for cross-functional team.
• Provide strategic direction on department layouts and planograms within assigned categories and as the voice of the business in format overall space discussions.
• Collaborate with all formats and channels (i.e. Supermarket, Market District, Marketplace and GetGo).
• Accountable for assigned categories including assortment, pricing strategy, promotion planning and monitoring.
• Work closely with internal and external stakeholders to develop category initiatives and tactics to achieve financial goals.
• Lead assigned category projects aimed at profitably increasing sales and penetration including efforts to reduce cost on existing programs, development and introduction of new items and on-going monitoring.
• Work cooperatively within a team sharing best practices and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Comply with all federal, state and local laws.
• Special projects as r