Category Manager

Watson's The Chemist; Sha Tin; On-site; HKD 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and life insurance

Staff discounts

Gym facilities

Onsite clinic

Snacks & drinks

Job summary

Watsons Hong Kong is seeking an experienced Category Manager to lead the buying team, deliver sales and profitability targets, and optimise inventory across O+O channels. You will own category and promotional plans, using data-driven insights to refine assortment and drive commercial results.

Collaboration with suppliers and internal teams is essential to success. The role requires strong business acumen, numerical skills, and a customer-focused mindset to shape product, promotion and assortment

Qualifications

• Supervisory experience in buying or product marketing.
• Strong business acumen and numerical skills.
• Customer-focused mindset with understanding of how product decisions shape the customer experience.
• Analytical and data-driven approach.

Responsibilities

• Lead and guide the buying team to deliver sales, profit and inventory targets.
• Own category and promotional plans using data-driven methods to improve performance.
• Develop buying strategies, merchandise mix and assortment across O+O.
• Monitor sales, stock levels, distribution and allocation to optimise results.
• Use market research and customer insights to identify new products and brands.
• Negotiate effectively with suppliers to strengthen category performance.
• Turn sales and inventory analysis into clear recommendations for management.
• Collaborate with suppliers and internal teams to execute plans.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Business acumen

Data-driven

English fluency

Cantonese

Mandarin

Job description

At Watsons Hong Kong, we believe in our people, teamwork and the importance of your personal growth. If you are seeking for an opportunity to join the leading O+O health and beauty retailer in Asia with around 180 retail stores in Hong Kong and Macau, the Watsons Hong Kong family welcomes you!

You can enjoy:

Comprehensive medical and life insurance coverage, including your spouse and children

Exclusive staff discounts for you and your spouse

Convenient office location with less than 5-minute walk from the MTR station

Access to a well-equipped gym room located in your workplace

Contemporary workplace with Onsite Clinic, Lactation Rooms, free snacks & drinks and chill out areas

Why This Role Matters:

This role drives category growth and profitability by making smart buying decisions, building strong supplier partnerships and creating the right product assortment for our customers. With a customer-focused and data-driven mindset, you’ll turn market opportunities into commercial results across our O+O (Offline + Online) business, ultimately putting a smile on customers’ faces.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Lead and guide the buying team to deliver sales, profit and inventory targets.

Own category and promotional plans, using a scientific and data-driven approach to improve performance.

Develop buying strategies, merchandise mix and assortment across our O+O (Offline + Online) business.

Monitor sales, stock levels, distribution and allocation, taking timely actions to optimise results.

Use market research and customer insights to identify new products, brands and commercial opportunities.

Negotiate effectively with suppliers to strengthen category performance and profitability.

Turn sales and inventory analysis into clear recommendations for management discussions.

Work collaboratively with suppliers and internal teams, embracing collaboration as our way of working.

What You’ll Bring:

Supervisory experience in buying or product marketing, with the ability to guide and motivate a team.

Strong business acumen and numerical skills, with confidence turning data into commercial decisions.

A customer-focused mindset and understanding of how product, promotion and assortment decisions shape the customer experience.

Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a scientific, data-driven approach.

A collaborative, proactive and well-organised working style.

An innovative and adaptable mindset, with curiosity to explore new products, brands and opportunities.

Fluency in written and spoken English, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Strong computer proficiency.

Candidates with less experience may also be considered for Assistant Category Manager.

How You Will Make An Impact:

Drive category growth and profitability through smart commercial and buying decisions.

Create a relevant and customer-focused assortment that responds to evolving customer needs.

Turn data and insights into actions that improve sales, profit and inventory performance.

Build strong supplier partnerships to unlock new products, brands and business opportunities.

Strengthen the O+O customer experience through effective category, assortment and promotional planning.

We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates. The information provided will be treated in strict confidence and be used only for consideration of your application for relevant / similar posts within the AS Watson Group.

Established in 1841, AS Watson Group is one of the world's longest-standing and most recognised retail companies with roots in Asia. Today, the company operates over 17,000 stores across 12 retail brands in 31 markets, employing 130,000 people globally. This makes AS Watson Group the largest international health and beauty retailer in the world.

In the fiscal year 2024, AS Watson Group reported revenue of over US$24 billion. The company's technology-enabled O+O (Offline plus Online) platforms serve over 6 billion shoppers annually, seamlessly integrating physical and digital retail experiences.