Associate Category Manager: Merchandising & Analytics

Walgreens; Deerfield (IL); On-site; USD 86,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

Walgreens is seeking a Category Manager professional to collaborate with Category Managers in selecting and purchasing merchandise across defined categories. You will analyze economics, supply sources, and consumer needs to implement merchandising techniques and promotional plans, aligning with company policy and supplier strategies.

With input from the CM/DMM, you will forecast sales, drive gross profit, and develop category plans while leveraging data to optimize planograms and promotions

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus 2+ years in retail, procurement, merchandising, vendor relations, pharmacy operations, or marketing.
• Alternatively, high school diploma with 4 years in two or more of the listed areas.
• Experience with P&L concepts—revenue, COGS, gross profit margin, operating expenses and income.
• Knowledge of customer-centric retailing principles and analytics of customer purchase behavior.
• At least 2 years developing merchandising, vendor relations, and marketing programs in retail.

Responsibilities

• Plans, develops, and recommends sales, gross profit level, inventory control, and merchandise turnover objectives for the assigned department(s) and item(s).
• Develops and recommends merchandising, display, advertising, distribution, packaging and sales plans and programs for assigned items and merchandise departments.
• Negotiates buying contracts on categories or subsets of categories and reviews contracts with the CM.
• Analyzes market, competitive, and customer perception data; provides recommendations on price levels.
• Reviews and analyzes historical and YTD category performance data; sets performance goals.
• Works closely with Store Experience and merchandising planning to build category insights; uses data to recommend planograms, promotional programs, and forecasts.
• Develops understanding of Walgreens private brands, including assortment and sales forecasts; works to project sales and gross profit levels.

Skills

Merchandising

Procurement

Vendor relations

P&L concepts

Analytical skills

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree

High school diploma

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Walgreens is seeking a Category Manager professional to collaborate with Category Managers in selecting and purchasing merchandise across defined categories. You will analyze economics, supply sources, and consumer needs to implement merchandising techniques and promotional plans, aligning with company policy and supplier strategies.

With input from the CM/DMM, you will forecast sales, drive gross profit, and develop category plans while leveraging data to optimize planograms and promotions