Buyer/Merchandiser - Center Store

Festival Foods; De Pere (WI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Associate Discount 15%

Weekly pay and premium pay

Two-Week advanced scheduling

Vision & Dental Insurance

Well-being support (EAP/LEAPCare)

Job summary

Festival Foods seeks a Category Manager to lead center store purchasing, working with wholesalers and vendor partners to achieve gross profit targets. The role collaborates with Center Store Directors to drive profitability and assortment strategy.

The position requires strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with a background in buying and merchandising and proficiency in Excel. This full-time role reports to the Grocery and Wine/Spirits Sr. Director and is based in Wisconsin.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business or related field required.
• Minimum of 5 years buying and merchandising experience preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office: Excel, Word, Outlook.

Responsibilities

• Build weekly itemization, pricing and layout for ad inserts and promotions.
• Identify suppliers, select merchandise, and negotiate contracts.
• Negotiate advertising, new item and placement fees with vendors.
• Forecast and place timely orders for key ad items and seasonal items.
• Monitor sales and adjust assortments based on market trends.

Skills

Buying & Merchandising

Leadership

Microsoft Excel

Communication & Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Business

Job description

Location : Name

Green Bay Support Office

Position Type

Full-Time

Company Overview

ABOUT FESTIVAL FOODS:

We are a Wisconsin grocer that is committed to giving back to the communities it serves and providing guests with exceptional service and value. We operate +40 full-service supermarkets across the state of Wisconsin.

At Festival, people are at the top of our list. You’ll see it in everything from our daily interactions to how we treat our guests – even in our extensive associate benefits and programs.

Job Summary

Job Title: Category Manager

Reports To: Grocery and Wine/Spirits Sr. Director

The Category Manager must possess strong leadership and interpersonal skills. The position purchases center store products, working with a variety of wholesalers, brokers and vendor partners. This position will work closely with the Center Store Department Directors in achieving desired gross profit plans.

Job Description

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build weekly itemization, pricing and layout for ad insert, direct mail and digital advertising offers that delivers sales and gross profits plans.


• Proof all department advertising for accuracy and completeness.


• Identify suppliers (vendors, brokers, manufacturers), select merchandise, and negotiate contracts.


• Negotiate and purchase products at the most favorable cost in quantities consistent with store trends and sales volume.


• Monitor sales of key items and make adjustments based on competitor market pricing and advertising.


• Manage every day and seasonal assortments of products for all store locations.


• Review and provide direction on deselection of items, addition of new items and placement for planograms.


• Negotiate advertising, new item and placement fees with vendors.


• Develop key strategies to drive sales, while analyzing market trends of new and existing items.


• Deliver AOP Sales and Gross Profit targets.


• Forecast and place timely orders of key ad items, seasonal items and warehouse inventory.


• Regular, timely attendance in compliance with the work schedule, and adequate notice to find a replacement for occasional absences


• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duties satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, related field or equivalent experience required.


• Minimum of 5 years buying and merchandising experience preferred.


• Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, quantitative analysis, resource allocation and leadership techniques.


• Proficient in Microsoft Office: Excel, Word, Outlook.


• Excellent oral and written communication skills, and strong interpersonal skills including verbal communication, listening, negotiation, problem solving, decision making, and being assertive.


• Must work well in a team environment while being collaborative in research and execution of the team plan.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands and work environment described below is representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Professional presence and proper phone and e-mail etiquette is required.


• Sitting/standing at a desk/computer 75% of the time.


• The position requires fine finger and broad manual dexterity.

WORK SCHEDULE

The Buyer/Merchandiser is a full-time position.

Benefits Overview

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT HERE:

• Associate Discount: Enjoy an industry-leading 15% off your grocery purchases for you and your immediate household!


• Weekly Pay & Premium Pay: Hourly associates are paid weekly, providing more frequent access to their funds. Part-time store associates are paid a $1 premium per hour on Sundays and select holidays. Hourly full-time store associates receive time and a half on Sundays and select holidays.


• Two-Week Advanced Scheduling: Better Planning. Better Balance. We provide our associates with their schedules two weeks in advance, offering greater predictability & flexibility.


• Vision & Dental Insurance: Part-time and full-time associates are eligible for vision insurance and two dental coverage options that are designed to fit your needs.


• Support: Our associates receive support for their total well-being; including 3 weeks of paid parental leave, a fitness reimbursement program offering savings off of fitness membership fees; our EAP (Employee Assistance Program) and LEAPCare Care Coaches, which provide associates confidential care related to hospital visitation, conflict resolution, stress management, marriage or divorce, family issues and depression or anxiety.


• Save for Your Future: Offering a 401(k), we’re proud to support our associates in planning for retirement. The 401(k) plan empowers associates to save a portion of their paychecks for retirement. Festival Foods has an annual discretionary match to help our associates reach their savings goals. At Festival Foods we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We are dedicated to building a top-notch team of skilled, experienced and service-oriented associates. Festival Foods believes that an inclusive environment for teammates of all backgrounds and perspectives strengthens our ability to serve our guests and communities, as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people.

Additional

Festival Foods will not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of an executed recruitment Master Service Agreement, there will be no obligation to any referral compensation or recruiter fee. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without an agreement, Festival Foods shall reserve the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, shall be deemed the property of Festival Foods.

Address

1724 Lawrence Drive

City

De Pere

State

WI

Postal Code

54115