Grocery Category Buyer

Langley Farm Market; Coquitlam; On-site; CAD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Langley Farm Market is seeking a Grocery Category Buyer to lead strategy, assortment, pricing, and promotions for shelf-stable products across six Metro Vancouver stores. You will balance brand consistency with location-specific demand and drive a compelling in-store experience.

Responsibilities include end-to-end purchasing, inventory management, supplier negotiations, planogram creation, weekly ad planning, and collaboration with Marketing and Grocery Managers to ensure pricing and

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in grocery buying or category management.
• Degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or related field.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive grocery category strategy for shelf-stable products across six stores.
• Determine retail pricing strategy through market research and margin target management.
• Analyze sales data to evaluate product performance and identify opportunities for assortment and pricing improvements.
• Create planograms and store layouts to deliver a cohesive shopping experience across six stores.
• Collaborate with Marketing team and Grocery Department Managers to ensure merchandising designs are implemented.
• Curate weekly ads through featured product selection and sale pricing strategy.
• Participate in weekly buyer meetings to discuss promotional planning and product selection.
• Oversee end-to-end purchasing process for grocery category, from forecasting to delivery confirmation.
• Monitor inventory levels and manage replenishment and reduce overstock.
• Build and maintain supplier relationships; negotiate cost, terms, and promotional support.
• Research and recommend new products, brands, and sources of supply aligned with category strategy.

Skills

Category management

Excel proficiency

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or Supply Chain

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Langley Farm Market is a growing small‑format grocery chain specializing in high‑quality, specialty foods sourced from local suppliers. With six locations across Metro Vancouver, we offer a diverse range of fresh produce, premium meats, specialty groceries, baked goods, and delicatessen items. Our commitment to quality and value has earned us the 2025 Consumer Choice Award for Best Fruit & Vegetable Store in Vancouver, a testament to our customer satisfaction and business excellence.

The Grocery Category Buyer owns the strategy and purchasing of the shelf-stable grocery category (canned goods, dry goods, and related products) across six retail locations. This role is responsible for assortment planning, retail pricing, and promotional strategy to drive sales, margin, and a consistent in-store customer experience.

Key Responsibilities

Category Assortment, Merchandising & Promotional Strategy

• Develop and execute a comprehensive grocery category strategy for shelf-stable products across six stores, striking a balance between brand consistency and location specific demand.
• Determine retail pricing strategy through market research and margin target management.
• Analyze sales data to evaluate product performance, identifying key areas for assortment and pricing improvement.
• Create planograms and store layouts to deliver a cohesive shopping experience across six stores, focusing on visual merchandising and theme building.
• Collaborate with the Marketing team and Grocery Department Managers to ensure merchandising designs are accurately implemented.
• Curate weekly ads through featured product selection and sale pricing strategy, aligning with seasonal trends and supplier programs.
• Participate and present in weekly buyer meetings to discuss promotional planning, ensuring the team is aligned on product selection and pricing.

Purchasing, Inventory & Supplier Management

• Oversee end-to-end purchasing process for grocery category, from forecasting and ordering to delivery confirmation.
• Verify purchase orders upon delivery, confirming that product quantity and quality are accurate and up to merchandising standards.
• Monitor inventory levels to accurately determine order quantities, factoring in sales data, lead times, and seasonal trends to manage replenishment and reduce overstock.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships; negotiate cost, terms, and promotional support to meet margin goals.
• Research and recommend new products, brands, and sources of supply aligned with category strategy.
• Supervise Purchasing Assistant to manage accurate product information in internal systems, including creating and updating SKUs, pricing changes, and filing purchasing records.
• Stay informed on procurement trends, pricing movements, and supplier capabilities within the grocery and healthy food space.
• Evaluate and advise on the viability of potential new products, including private label, by researching their demand, competitive landscapes and product margin.
• Research and contact new manufacturing suppliers for prospective products, driving discussions on costs, capabilities and conditions for launch.

Qualifications & Experience

• 3–5 years of experience in grocery buying or category management within a retail or wholesale environment.
• Degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or related field.
• Strong knowledge of shelf‑stable grocery categories (canned goods, dry goods, pantry items).
• Comfortable managing thousands of SKUs with strong analytical and numerical skills.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and organizational skills. Good staff management and mentoring skills.
• Experience in visual merchandising is an asset.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel is required.