Category Specialist - Contract

Staples Canada; Richmond Hill; Hybrid; CAD 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Category Specialist to drive financial sales and gross margin targets. In this dynamic role, you will collaborate with Category Managers to develop assortments, set pricing, and create promotions that enhance customer experiences. You will also provide presales support and ensure the integrity of systems data. This position offers a fantastic opportunity to engage with various teams and contribute to sustained growth while working in a supportive and inclusive environment. If you're passionate about retail and eager to make an impact, this role is perfect for you.

Benefits

Health and Dental Benefits

RRSP/DPSP

Performance Bonuses

Qualifications

• 1-3 years of retail management, purchasing, or merchandising experience.
• Post-secondary diploma focused on retail management or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop channel-relevant assortments leveraging analytics and vendor insights.
• Set and maintain pricing in line with category strategies.

Skills

Business/Financial Acumen

Retail Management

Merchandising Strategies

Analytical Skills

Customer Engagement

Education

Post Secondary Diploma in Retail Management

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft PowerPoint

AS400

Sunrise

Alpha

Job description

Richmond Hill, ON, Canada
Mississauga, ON, Canada

Job Description

Some of what you will do:

Our Category Specialists are accountable to meet financial sales and gross margin targets for their categories. Working collaboratively with their Category Manager, they will assist in sourcing and building assortments, developing promotions, setting pricing, and delivering best-in-class presentation to drive sustained growth and capture market share including supporting programmatic customer opportunities. This role will partner closely with our Merchandise, Strategy, Planning and Allocation teams.

Specifically, You Will:

1. Working closely with Category Manager, develop channel-relevant assortments leveraging solid analytics, industry trends and vendor/brand insights.
2. Work with Category Manager on all line reviews.
3. Proactively seek out category insights from vendors and external sources of information.
4. Provide presales support to high value/specific customer opportunities.
5. Support programmatic customer opportunities that could include RFI (Request for Information), RFQ (Request for Quotation), RFP (Request for Proposal) and other customer requests.
6. Onboard and set up new SKUs by collecting all required content from vendor partners and following established set-up guidelines.
7. Set and maintain pricing, ensuring it is in line with pricing policies and strategies for the category.
8. Monitor integrity of systems data (AS400, Sunrise, Alpha).
9. Work with the planograming department to ensure inline presentation aligns with category strategies, keeping the customer shopping experience top-of-mind.
10. Work with vendors to establish effective off-shelf displays that adhere to presentation criteria and balance both inventory investment and sales forecast.

Some of what you need:

1. Post secondary diploma with a focus on retail management, merchandising and purchasing or equivalent experience.
2. Introductory business/financial acumen.
3. Understanding of basic merchandising and marketing strategies.
4. Required to commit necessary time to fluctuating priorities and meet the demands of the position.
5. Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint (+ Access recommended).
6. Minimum of 1-3 years of previous retail management, purchasing or merchandising experience.

Some of what you will get:

1. Health and Dental benefits
2. RRSP/DPSP
3. Performance bonuses
4. And more...

#MakeAnImpact
#LI-Hybrid

About Us

Staples Canada is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion and we encourage applications from all qualified candidates, including those with disabilities.

About the Team

As the Working and Learning Company, we at Staples Canada, are dynamic, inspiring partners to our customers and the communities in which we live. At Staples, we inspire people to work smarter, learn more and grow every day. We look for people who are curious, approachable, and passionate, and who enjoy finding solutions. If that’s you, let’s work, learn, and grow together.

We are building an inclusive and diverse team

Staples Canada is creating an inclusive and diverse work environment. We welcome, value and thrive on perspectives and contributions from backgrounds that vary by race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, lifestyle, age, educational background, national origin, religion or physical ability. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

• Job Identification 37022
• Job Category Merchandising