Hybrid Category Manager: Retail Strategy & Partnerships

Applegreen Travel Plazas; Oradell (NJ); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid Work Arrangement

401(k) with Company Match

10% Annual Bonus

Paid Time Off

Earned Wage Access

Education Assistance

Employee Referral Bonus

Pet Insurance

Job summary

Applegreen USA Welcome Centers Central Services is seeking a Category Manager to develop and execute category strategies across our retail portfolio, optimize assortment, pricing, promotions, and vendor partnerships. The successful candidate will collaborate with Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Finance; hold a bachelor’s degree with 5+ years in retail buying or category management; and bring strong negotiation and data analysis skills.

This is a hybrid role based in Glen Rock, NJ.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Merchandising, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of retail buying, category management, merchandising, or procurement experience.
• Strong experience negotiating supplier agreements and managing vendor relationships.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Office Suite.
• Experience with PDI and retail reporting platforms preferred.
• Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and leverage data to drive business decisions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies that support sales growth, margin improvement, and objectives.
• Manage product assortment, pricing, promotions, and merchandising plans for assigned categories.
• Analyze sales, margin, market, and customer data to identify trends and opportunities.
• Lead category reviews and develop action plans to maximize performance.
• Deliver category forecasts, budgets, and performance reporting.
• Build relationships with supplier partners and lead annual vendor negotiations.
• Develop and execute joint business plans with key suppliers.

Skills

Vendor negotiations

Data-driven decisions

Analytical thinking

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Marketing/Merchandising/Supply Chain

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Office Suite

PDI

Job description

Applegreen USA Welcome Centers Central Services is seeking a Category Manager to develop and execute category strategies across our retail portfolio, optimize assortment, pricing, promotions, and vendor partnerships. The successful candidate will collaborate with Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Finance; hold a bachelor’s degree with 5+ years in retail buying or category management; and bring strong negotiation and data analysis skills.

This is a hybrid role based in Glen Rock, NJ.