Bakery Category Buyer: Growth, Negotiation & Merchandising

The Fresh Market Inc; Greensboro (NC); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Team Member discount up to 40%

Health, Dental, & Vision insurance

401K contribution and match

Job summary

The Fresh Market Inc in Greensboro, NC is seeking a Category Buyer - Bakery to lead the promotion and profitability of their bakery category, collaborating across teams in the Store Support Center.

You will develop SKU-level demand plans, oversee procurement and allocation, and track product performance, with travel for trade shows and store visits. This role requires a deep grocery-sector understanding and strong negotiation and analytics skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 4-7+ years of Category Management or related experience.
• Deep knowledge and understanding of the grocery business and systems/processes.
• Experience in understanding consumer demand in the fast-paced retail/grocery environment.
• Ability to develop/maintain strong working relationships with peers and cross-functional teams.
• Possesses strong merchandising, product, and marketing skills.
• Demonstrate strong analytical, negotiating, and problem-solving skills.
• Willing and able to travel for trade shows and store trips.
• Flexible and adaptive to changing priorities.
• Able to organize and prioritize workload to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated skills with MS Office applications.
• Project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Demand planning: Develop SKU-level demand plans by analyzing sales trends, promotions, vendor agreements, and presentation minimums.
• Vendor collaboration: Work with distributors to improve service levels and negotiate product costs, vendor funds, and non-resale goods costs.
• Procurement & allocation: Manage product procurement, allocation, and in-store inventory targets by category.
• Cost accuracy: Ensure cost data accuracy in the database.
• Product lifecycle management: Collaborate with Retail Category Management/Private Label Brands on forecasting new items, transitions, and discontinuations.
• Performance monitoring: Track new product sales and build historical data for future launches.

Skills

Merchandising

Marketing

Analytical

Negotiating

Problem-solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

MS Office

MicroStrategy

Nielsen/IRI

Job description

The Fresh Market Inc in Greensboro, NC is seeking a Category Buyer - Bakery to lead the promotion and profitability of their bakery category, collaborating across teams in the Store Support Center.

You will develop SKU-level demand plans, oversee procurement and allocation, and track product performance, with travel for trade shows and store visits. This role requires a deep grocery-sector understanding and strong negotiation and analytics skills.