Category Assistant Manager - Travel Essentials / Core Duty Free

Lagardère Travel Retail; Singapore; On-site; SGD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company in Singapore is seeking an experienced Category Assistant Manager. This role involves leading the Gifts & Souvenirs and Core Duty Free categories, developing merchandising plans, managing supplier relationships, and implementing promotions. Candidates should have at least 5 years in category management and strong analytical skills. This position allows for impactful contributions in a dynamic retail environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in category management, buying, or merchandising.
• Proven experience in supplier negotiations and vendor performance management.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills; detail-oriented and data-driven.

Responsibilities

• Develop category, assortment, and merchandising plans.
• Select and manage product range and monitor inventory levels.
• Develop and implement seasonal promotions and marketing campaigns.

Skills

Category management

Analytical skills

Vendor management

Negotiation skills

MS Excel proficiency

Communication skills

Education

Diploma/Degree in a relevant field

Tools

SAP

Power BI

Job description

Category Assistant Manager - Travel Essentials / Core Duty Free

We are looking for an experienced Category Assistant Manager to lead two of our most impactful retail categories: Gifts & Souvenirs and Core Duty Free (Tobacco & Liquor). In this role, you’ll balance strategy with hands‑on execution, curating assortments, managing supplier partnerships, driving promotions, and ensuring travellers always find the right products at the right time.

What You’ll Do

Category Strategy & Merchandising

• Develop and refine category, assortment, and merchandising plans tailored to each store.
• Define store layouts, brand allocation, and ensure effective planogram execution.
• Monitor range performance and identify opportunities to improve.
• Use data analytics to optimise category performance and uncover growth.
• Build strong vendor relationships and negotiate pricing and contracts to meet sales and margin goals.
• Enhance product ranges by collaborating with vendors to optimise existing offerings based on consumer profiles and introduce new offerings.
• Oversee supplier performance and maintain accurate master data.

Range Selection, Buying & Replenishment

• Select and manage the product range to meet business and traveller expectations.
• Monitor inventory levels and plan replenishment to avoid out‑of‑stock or overstock situations.
• Track KPIs such as sell‑through, margins, and inventory turnover.

Operations, Promotions & Marketing

• Develop and implement seasonal transitions, promotions and marketing campaigns.
• Coordinate with Operations to ensure flawless execution.
• Guarantee the accuracy of promotional setups in systems.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Reporting

• Provide reporting and commercial insights to guide strategic decisions.
• Collaborate with operations, finance and logistics to resolve issues and achieve objectives.
• Lead category‑related projects (opening, assortment refresh, rollout, layout changes).

What We’re Looking For

• Diploma/Degree in a relevant field.
• 5+ years of experience in category management, buying, or merchandising (FMCG, retail, liquor/tobacco, or multi‑category).
• Proven experience in pricing, supplier negotiations, and vendor performance management.
• Proven end‑to‑end project leadership.
• Hands‑on with MS Excel & SAP, Power BI & BW knowledge is a plus.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills; detail‑oriented and data‑driven.
• Dynamic, proactive, and comfortable rolling up sleeves.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Why Join Us?

This is your chance to make a visible impact, from shaping assortments, influencing traveller choices, and driving results in one of the world’s most dynamic retail environments.