Category Manager Hardgoods

Mayesh Wholesale Florist

Romulus (MI)

On-site

USD 90,000 - 135,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Job summary

Mayesh Wholesale Florist in the United States is seeking a Category & Purchasing Manager – Hardgoods to lead strategy, sourcing, pricing, and inventory across multiple branches. You’ll collaborate with Branch Managers, Operations, and Business Systems to establish standards, optimize stock, and drive profitability.

The role focuses on supplier partnerships, contract negotiations, SKU governance, and data-driven decision making to support growth, new branch openings, and acquisitions.

Qualifications

5+ years in category management, purchasing, merchandising, or strategic sourcing.
Experience negotiating vendor contracts, pricing, and supplier programs.
Ability to analyze sales, margins, inventory, and purchasing data to drive results.
Experience managing large product assortments across multiple locations.
Proficiency with ERP, inventory management, and reporting systems; NetSuite a plus.
Strong communication, negotiation, analytical, and project management skills.
Willingness to travel periodically to branch locations and suppliers.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute category strategies that drive sales growth and profitability.
Manage product assortment, pricing, promotions, and lifecycle decisions.
Research market trends and competitor offerings relevant to florists.
Oversee purchasing strategies, forecasting, and inventory across branches.
Coordinate with branches to balance inventory and improve fulfillment.
Negotiate pricing, terms, freight, rebates, and promotional programs with suppliers.
Establish SKU governance, data standards, and assortment across locations.
Develop KPIs and report performance to leadership; support branch openings.

Skills

Category management

Negotiation

Analytics

Inventory management

ERP systems

Data-driven decision making

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

NetSuite

ERP systems

Job description

Mayesh Wholesale Florist has been a leader in the floral industry since 1938 and family-owned since 1978. With approximately 400 team members and locations across multiple states, we provide fresh flowers, floral supplies, and hardgoods to professional florists and floral businesses nationwide.

As Mayesh continues to grow, we are investing in stronger purchasing strategies, smarter inventory management, and consistent product offerings across our branches. Join us in shaping the future of our hardgoods category and making a measurable impact on our business.

About Mayesh

Position Summary

Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), the Category & Purchasing Manager – Hardgoods leads the strategy, purchasing, and performance of Mayesh’s hardgoods and floral supplies category across multiple locations. This role combines strategic sourcing, vendor negotiations, product assortment planning, pricing, inventory optimization, and data-driven decision-making to improve profitability, product availability, and operational consistency.

Working closely with Branch Managers, Hardgoods Leads, Operations, and Business Systems, this position establishes purchasing standards, strengthens supplier partnerships, and builds scalable processes that support company growth, new branch openings, and acquisitions.

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Product Management

Develop and execute category strategies that drive sales growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
Manage product assortment, pricing, promotions, and product lifecycle decisions.
Research market trends, competitor offerings, and emerging products relevant to professional florists.
Identify opportunities to expand high-performing products and eliminate underperforming items.

Purchasing & Inventory Optimization

Oversee purchasing strategies, replenishment practices, forecasting, and inventory investment across branches.
Improve inventory turns, product availability, and working capital while minimizing excess, obsolete, and slow-moving stock.
Establish consistent purchasing guidelines and recommend appropriate stock levels based on demand and seasonality.
Coordinate with branches to balance inventory, reduce stockouts, and improve fulfillment.

Vendor & Supplier Relationships

Develop and maintain strategic supplier partnerships.
Negotiate pricing, payment terms, freight, rebates, volume discounts, and promotional programs.
Evaluate supplier performance, product quality, lead times, and reliability.
Identify alternative sourcing opportunities and mitigate supply chain risks.

SKU Governance & Standardization

Manage company-wide SKU creation, product data, naming conventions, units of measure, and assortment standards.
Review new product requests, substitutions, and assortment exceptions.
Partner with Operations and Business Systems to maintain accurate product data and improve purchasing processes.

Branch Partnership & Leadership Reporting

Collaborate with Branch Managers and Hardgoods Leads to improve merchandising, purchasing practices, and category performance.
Visit branches as needed to assess inventory, identify opportunities, and support training.
Develop and report key performance indicators, including sales, gross margin, inventory turns, stock availability, and vendor performance.
Present data-driven recommendations to executive leadership and support new branch openings and acquisitions.

Qualifications

5+ years of experience in category management, purchasing, merchandising, inventory management, or strategic sourcing.
Experience negotiating vendor contracts, pricing, and supplier programs.
Proven ability to analyze sales, margins, inventory, and purchasing data to drive business results.
Experience managing large product assortments or SKU portfolios across multiple locations.
Proficiency with ERP, inventory management, and reporting systems; NetSuite experience is a plus.
Strong communication, negotiation, analytical, and project management skills.
Ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive change without direct authority.
Experience in floral, wholesale distribution, retail, agricultural products, or related industries preferred.
Willingness to travel periodically to branch locations and suppliers.

What Success Looks Like

Improved gross margins and purchasing profitability.
Higher inventory turns and reduced excess or obsolete inventory.
Stronger supplier performance and more favorable purchasing terms.
Consistent product assortments, pricing practices, and SKU data across branches.
Better product availability and support for branch growth.

Why Join Mayesh?

At Mayesh, you’ll have the opportunity to take ownership of a key business category and influence purchasing and inventory strategy across a growing, multi-location organization. You’ll work directly with executive leadership and collaborate with teams throughout the business to turn insights into measurable results.

We value initiative, collaboration, and continuous improvement. This is an opportunity to make a lasting impact on how we source, manage, and deliver the products that professional florists depend on every day.

Benefits include: