Associate Merchant

Galls; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision coverage

401(k) retirement plan with company

Tuition reimbursement

Generous employee discount

Vacation and Personal Time

Paid Holidays

Job summary

Galls, LLC is seeking an Associate Merchant to drive product and assortment strategy within a select category. You will own vendor relationships, optimize assortments, and align with channels including Galls, US Patriot, and Ecommerce to maximize sales, gross profit, and GMROI.

You will synthesize corporate strategies into category plans, manage inventory, and lead cross-functional collaboration to deliver profitable growth. Strong negotiation and presentation skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Product passion and customer focus as core drivers of category leadership.
• Strong strategic thinking to translate corporate strategy into category plans.
• Results-oriented mindset with ability to deliver sales, gross profit, and margin goals.
• Demonstrated leadership across the organization to drive growth and talent development.
• Excellent negotiation skills to secure favorable vendor terms and partnerships.
• Sound decision making with financial impact awareness.
• Effective communication and presentation skills to tell a data-driven category story.
• Ability to influence across vendors, internal teams, and customers.

Responsibilities

• Lead product category strategy across assigned categories and drive performance across channels.
• Own vendor relationships and ensure performance against margin, supply chain, and sales goals.
• Synthesize corporate strategies into category plans, manage inventory, seasonal SKUs, and turn performance.
• Oversee vendor and product life cycle, including private label and distribution brands.
• Lead line reviews, strategic planning, and cross-functional collaboration to grow sales and gross profit.
• Use data analytics to identify trends, opportunities, and risks, and act autonomously to stabilize business.
• Resolve vendor issues such as POs, service levels, pricing, and data accuracy.
• Drive continuous improvement and cross-functional efficiency with measurable financial impact.
• Communicate strategies and results across the organization to secure resources.

Skills

Product passion

Strategic thinking

Results-oriented

Leadership

Salesmanship

Decision making

Negotiation skills

Presentation skills

Job description

GALLS, LLC is the largest and fastest growing supplier of uniforms and equipment to public safety professionals, with a national presence in more than 80 locations. With over 50 years in the industry, it is easy to see why. We are PROUD to serve America's public safety professionals by providing the broadest selection of uniforms, equipment, and solutions combined with great customer service.

JOB SUMMARY

The Galls Associate Merchant is responsible for driving the overall product and assortment strategy within a select product category for Galls to deliver successful results as measured by sales, gross profit, margin rate, GMROI and other key metrics. Serves as the accountable owner of their product categories with Merchant oversight, responsible for establishing strategies that will deliver performance through all Galls sales channels including Galls, US Patriot, and Ecommerce through the development of relevant, profitable product assortments, vendor relationship and business productivity, cross-functional collaboration with key internal stakeholders and operational execution.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Through the extensive knowledge of product, market, consumer, usage, vendors, and trends of their respective product categories, provides leadership across the organization to position Galls as the respected industry leader and category captain for all Galls customer types.
• Owns, enhances, and leverages all vendor relationships within assigned categories for the benefit of the Galls business. Creates opportunities for sustained growth, financially viable product differentiation, market advantages and ensures vendor performance to goals across all metrics including margin, supply chain and sales fulfillment. Serves as the go-to leader for all issues concerning inbound activity, vendor performance and product management.
• With the leading Merchant, synthesize Galls corporate strategies into individual product category strategies as it relates to vendor selection and product assortment to manage inventory management, overstock and seasonal SKUs, market trends, GMROI, Turn, EBITDA and NWC achievement, vendor, and customer service levels.
• Manage the Galls portfolio of vendors and products within stated categories to maximize SKU optimization, productivity, and the complete product life cycle inclusive of distribution brands and private label products. Participates in internal Monthly Business Reviews and vendor QBR to adapt activity to business fluctuations for budget achievement.
• Leads the strategic product planning process and line reviews to grow respective categories in terms of sales and gross profit, as well as common strategies around shared initiatives to drive improvement within the enterprise.
• Uses extensive data-mining and information analysis to identify insights, opportunities, challenges, and trends, then takes appropriate action with autonomy to ensure business stability.
• Resolves all issues and challenges as it relates to vendor interaction, including purchase order issue resolution, service level challenges, compliance charges, RTVs, pricing, and data error. Serves as the accountable leader ensuring all vendor business is operating at the highest efficiency and profitability, resolving all issues as they arise.
• Oversee shifts in priorities throughout the year to report progress and shifts in execution. Seeks, finds, and takes calculated moves that lead to transformational business growth.
• Through efforts of continuous improvement, work cross-functionally to streamline processes, improve business behaviors, and promote efficiency with the ability to connect to financial impact.
• Communicates strategies, tactics, results, and initiatives effectively across the organization including peers, cross-functional stakeholders, and senior leadership. Create awareness to opportunities, influence, and secure resources to deliver on responsibilities. Engages with cross-functional sales partners to deliver on customer needs with a collaborative effort.

Financial Performance

• Achieve yearly financial plans through productive assortments, vendor contract improvements, sourcing opportunities, margin enhancement activity, pricing strategies, cost reduction negotiations, increased SKU productivity and enterprise channel extensions (First Sight, Fire, Military, Fed/Mil).
• Enhance the financial productivity of categories and vendors through deep SKU optimization efforts, vendor pricing negotiations, vendor program enhancements and life cycle management as measured by GMROI, Turn, Service Level, NWC and other metrics.
• Secure exclusive promotions and work cross-functionally with Sales and E-Comm to maximize market advantages.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Product passion - Natural and fanatical curiosity around product and the Galls customer, demonstrated and put into action.
• Strategic thinking - Ability to envision, create and drive data-supported strategies to generate disruptive growth within business with connection to economical impact.
• Results-oriented - Ability to drive results, fully executed with excellence to and above plan with urgency, full accountability, autonomy, and adaptability to shifting markets.
• Leadership - Demonstrated and active leadership across the organization to create change, effect improvement, influence growth and develop talent to position Galls as a premier employment destination.
• Salesmanship - Ability to influence across vendors, the organization, and customers to position Galls as the preferred distributor in all Galls sales channels.
• Decision making - Ability to assess situations from all perspectives and make financially sound decisions based on a best course of action.
• Negotiation skills - Superior negotiation skills with proven results leveraging company scale, business drivers and strategies to build last partnerships of sustained growth.
• Presentation skills - Strong business story-telling ability backed by diligent data-support to present with clarity and professionalism across the organization, vendors and retailers.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Excellent medical/dental and vision coverage- Eligible 1st day of the month after start date
• 401(k) retirement plan with company contribution (because you will retire someday)
• Flexible benefits-choose what you like, ignore the rest
• Generous employee discount
• Vacation and Personal Time
• Paid Holidays
• Tuition reimbursement
• Day Shifts Only

EOE/Disability/Veterans