Strategic Retail Category Manager

Applegreen Travel Plazas; Hackensack (NJ); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

401 (k) with Company Match

10% Annual Bonus

Hybrid Work Arrangement

Earned Wage Access – Pay on Demand

Education Assistance

Employee Referral Bonus

Pet Insurance

Job summary

Applegreen USA Welcome Centers Central Services seeks a Category Manager to develop and execute category strategies across our retail portfolio, driving sales growth and profitability while ensuring an exceptional customer experience.

You will collaborate with Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and vendor partners to optimize offerings, pricing, and promotions, delivering data-driven plans and robust performance tracking in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Merchandising, Supply Chain, or 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.
• Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to interpret and leverage data to drive business decisions.
• Excellent planning, organization, and project management skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to build effective relationships with stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

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

Job description

Applegreen USA Welcome Centers Central Services seeks a Category Manager to develop and execute category strategies across our retail portfolio, driving sales growth and profitability while ensuring an exceptional customer experience.

You will collaborate with Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and vendor partners to optimize offerings, pricing, and promotions, delivering data-driven plans and robust performance tracking in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.