Strategic Category Manager

Walgreens; Deerfield (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Walgreens seeks a Category Merchandiser/Buyer to collaborate with Category Managers to select and purchase merchandise within defined categories, aiming for the lowest cost while ensuring alignment with general business economics, supply sources, and company policy.

You will develop merchandising techniques and programs, negotiate contracts, analyze market and customer data, and contribute to planograms, promotions, and forecasts to meet consumer and store needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years’ experience in two or more of: retail, procurement/purchasing, merchandising, vendor relations, pharmacy operations, or retail marketing.
• Experience working with P&L concepts – revenue, COGS, gross profit margin, operating expenses and income.
• Knowledge of customer centric retailing principles and the analytics of customer purchase behavior.
• At least 2 years of experience developing programs in merchandising, vendor relations, and marketing in the retail business.
• Intermediate Excel, PowerPoint, and Word skills.

Responsibilities

• Plan, develop, and recommend sales, gross profit level, inventory control, and merchandise turnover objectives for the assigned department(s) and item(s).
• Develops merchandising, display, advertising, distribution, packaging and sales plans for assigned items and departments.
• Negotiate buying contracts and review contracts with CM/DMM.
• Analyze market, competitive, and customer perception data and provide pricing recommendations.
• Review and analyze historical and YTD category performance data and set performance goals.
• Collaborate with Store Experience and merchandise planning to build category insights and propose planograms, promos, and forecasts.
• Develop understanding of Walgreens private brands, forecast sales and gross profit within assigned categories.

Skills

P&L concepts

Customer analytics

Merchandising programs

Vendor relations

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree

High school diploma/GED

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Word

Job description

Walgreens seeks a Category Merchandiser/Buyer to collaborate with Category Managers to select and purchase merchandise within defined categories, aiming for the lowest cost while ensuring alignment with general business economics, supply sources, and company policy.

You will develop merchandising techniques and programs, negotiate contracts, analyze market and customer data, and contribute to planograms, promotions, and forecasts to meet consumer and store needs.