Category Planner - Midrand

Dis-Chem Pharmacies; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading pharmacy chain in South Africa is looking for a Category Planner to optimize product assortments across its store clusters. The ideal candidate will develop localized plans, maintain merchandising effectiveness, and engage in collaboration with buyers. Candidates must possess a degree in Retail or related fields and have 2–5 years of relevant experience. This position offers a market-related salary, medical aid, and other benefits.

Benefits

Market related salary

Medical aid

Provident fund

Staff account

Qualifications

• 2–5 years’ experience in Assortment Planning, Merchandising, or Procurement.
• Experience in Analytics within a retail environment.
• South African citizenship, clear criminal and credit history, driver's license.

Responsibilities

• Optimize product assortments for store clusters.
• Develop localized assortment plans based on consumer behaviour.
• Design and maintain detailed planograms for product placement.

Skills

Category management applications

Assortment Planning Tools (SAP)

Power BI

Collaboration and communication skills

Data visualization

Education

Degree in Retail Management/Business Management/Consumer Science/Business Analytics

Grade 12 / Matric

Job description

Dis-Chem Pharmacies has an opportunity available for a Category Planner to join the Head Office team in Midrand. The main purpose of this role will be to optimize product assortments across diverse store clusters by developing a well-balanced product mix that aligns with customer demand, regional preferences, and market trends to deliver improved customer satisfaction and optimised profit in our store clusters. Ensures the right products are available at the right locations, enhancing sales performance, inventory efficiency, and overall customer satisfaction.

Minimum Requirements

Essential:

• Grade 12 / Matric
• Degree in Retail Management/Business Management/Consumer Science/Business Analytics
• Minimum 2–5 years’ experience in Assortment/Range Planning/Merchandising/Procurement and experience in Analytics within a retail environment

Job Specification

Assortment Planning & Product Lifestyle Management

• Use clusters to develop localized assortment plans.
• Develop and maintain assortment plans that align with seasonal trends, regional preferences, and consumer behaviour.
• Implement category strategies to support the overall business objectives.
• Maintain appropriate assortment sizes and continuously refine the product mix.
• Conduct impact assessments on range reviews, validating outcomes using KPIs, financial metrics, and performance targets.
• Collaborate with buyers to identify growth opportunities and integrate emerging consumer trends into the assortment strategy.

Cluster Planning & Optimization

• Develop cluster plans for each category to guide assortment planning.
• Analyse cluster plans and profile each cluster, clearly defining its characteristics.
• Execute segmentation criteria, including customer demographics, regional trends, consumer spending patterns, and store sizes.
• Conduct bi-annual reviews of clusters and refine them based on evolving consumer behaviour and market trends.
• Collaborate closely with category managers, regional managers, and buyers to optimize cluster performance.
• Identify underperforming clusters or outlier stores and adjust groupings accordingly.

Space Planning

• Develop and maintain detailed planograms using space planning tools to optimize product placement and merchandising effectiveness.
• Design planograms that accurately reflect predetermined product assortment, adhering to brand guidelines and merchandising principles.
• Leverage automation within the Space Planning system to generate variations tailored to different assortments, store sizes, and fixture configurations.
• Optimize forward share to drive key performance indicators (KPIs) and achieve financial goals.
• Analyse space planning reports, including forward share distribution, shelf space utilization, and overall category performance, to inform strategic adjustments.
• Collaborate with Buyers to align planograms with product assortments and broader category strategies.
• Effectively communicate planograms to store teams and monitor compliance with execution guidelines.
• Conduct store visits to assess implementation, gather feedback, and continuously refine planogram strategies for improved in-store execution.

Collaboration, Reporting & Market Insights

• Collaborate with the buying team to implement strategic objectives, maximize sales, and optimize inventory allocation.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Conduct reporting and data analysis to support decision-making, assess assortment implementation, and identify growth opportunities.
• Provide insights on market trends, retail performance, and competitor activities to drive strategic improvements.

Competencies

Essential:

• Knowledge of category management applications
• Proficiency in Assortment Planning Tools (SAP) and Business Intelligence tools
• Ability to use Business Intelligence (BI) tools such as Power BI, for data visualization and reporting
• Ability to align assortment plans in conjunction with the Buyers targets
• Strong collaboration and communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Quality orientation
• Self-management skills

Special Conditions of Employment

• South African citizen
• MIE, clear criminal and credit
• Driver’s license and/or own reliable transport

Remuneration and Benefits

• Market related salary
• Medical aid
• Provident fund
• Staff account

ONLY SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED. IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN CONTACTED WITHIN TWO WEEKS AFTER THE CLOSING DATE CONSIDER YOUR APPLICATION AS UNSUCCESSFUL.

Chem Pharmacies is an equal opportunity employer. Dis-Chem’s approved Employment Equity Plan and targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process aligned to Dis-Chem’s Employment Equity & Transformation Strategy. Dis-Chem actively supports the recruitment of People with Disabilities.