Associate Category Manager - Apparel

Mills Fleet Farm e-Commerce Enterprises, LLC; Appleton (WI); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Fleet Farm is seeking an Associate Category Manager to join our Merchandising team in Appleton, WI. You will partner with Category Managers to select and purchase merchandise, drive category strategy, negotiate with vendors, and support forecasting to meet store needs.

Ideal candidates have a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent), 1–3 years in retail or merchandising, and strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) required.
• 1–3 years of related experience in retail or merchandising.
• Familiarity with retail financials (revenue, COGS, gross profit margin, operating expenses).
• Familiarity with customer-centric retailing and consumer purchase analytics.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Responsibilities

• Drive Category Strategy: develop and execute merchandising, promotional, pricing, and distribution strategies.
• Support Merchandise Buying: assist with purchasing, vendor negotiations, and contracts to achieve best value.
• Manage Category Planning: support sales, gross profit, inventory, and turnover forecasting.
• Analyze Performance: review category data, trends, and customer behavior to identify opportunities.
• Optimize Inventory: maintain stock levels and support promos and daily operations.
• Leverage Private Brands: build expertise in Fleet Farm private brands and support assortment, forecasting, pricing, and promotions.
• Stay Current & Collaborate: partner with Store Ops, Planogramming, and other teams to drive data-informed decisions.

Skills

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

Corporate Office
2401 S Memorial Dr
Appleton, WI 54915, USA

Description

Fleet Farm is looking for a driven and detail-oriented Associate Category Manager to join our Merchandising team. In this role, you will partner with Category Managers to select and purchase merchandise across assigned categories, ensuring competitive costs, strong vendor partnerships, and effective merchandising strategies that meet customer and store needs. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with a passion for retail, data-driven decision-making, and category growth.

What You’ll Do

• Drive Category Strategy: Partner with Category Managers to develop and execute merchandising, promotional, pricing, and distribution strategies.
• Support Merchandise Buying: Assist with merchandise and service purchasing, vendor negotiations, and contracts to achieve the best value.
• Manage Category Planning: Support sales, gross profit, inventory, and turnover forecasting to optimize category performance.
• Analyze Performance: Review category data, market trends, competitive insights, and customer behavior to identify opportunities and make recommendations.
• Optimize Inventory: Partner with Inventory Management to maintain appropriate stock levels and support promotional and daily operational needs.
• Leverage Private Brands: Build expertise in Fleet Farm private brands and support assortment, forecasting, pricing, and promotional planning.
• Stay Current & Collaborate: Maintain strong product and industry knowledge while partnering with Store Operations, Planogramming, and other teams to drive data-informed decisions

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• 1–3 years of related experience (retail or merchandising experience preferred).
• Strong knowledge of retail financials including revenue, COGS, gross profit margin, and operating expenses.
• Familiarity with customer-centric retailing and consumer purchase analytics.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Why Join Fleet Farm?

At Fleet Farm, we pride ourselves on delivering quality products, outstanding value, and exceptional service to our customers. As part of our Merchandising team, you’ll play a key role in shaping product offerings and driving category growth. You’ll also gain exposure to cross-functional teams and career development opportunities in a supportive, collaborative environment.

Fleet Farm is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and gives all applicants for employment equal consideration regardless of race, color, sex, gender, ethnicity, religious creed or belief, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, citizenship status, military or veteran status, pregnancy, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. Upon request and consistent with applicable laws, Fleet Farm will provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation to fully participate in the application process.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.