Associate Category Manager: Merchandising Growth & Strategy

Mills Fleet Farm e-Commerce Enterprises, LLC; Menasha (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 across categories, ensuring competitive costs, strong vendor partnerships, and effective merchandising strategies that meet customer and store needs.

You will analyze performance, forecast sales, manage inventory, and support private brands, collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive data-driven decisions that grow

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 1–3 years of related experience (retail or merchandising 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).

Responsibilities

• 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

Skills

Analytical

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Retail analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

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 across categories, ensuring competitive costs, strong vendor partnerships, and effective merchandising strategies that meet customer and store needs.

You will analyze performance, forecast sales, manage inventory, and support private brands, collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive data-driven decisions that grow