Job Title:         Category Manager

Department:              Merchandising

Reports To:                Senior Director, Merchandising & Marketing

Exemption Status:  Exempt (Salaried)

About Ace Retail Holdings
Ace Retail Holdings (ARH), the division of Ace Hardware Corporation that owns and operates the Great Lakes and Westlake Ace Hardware chains, is one of the largest hardware retailers in the United States.  ARH has been in operation for over a century and operates over 220 neighborhood stores located throughout the United States.  Great people make ARH stand out in our industry, and we are looking for individuals who strive for personal and professional growth, and who want to work with a company dedicated to serving our customers and communities.

General Job Summary                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The Category Manager is responsible for driving the merchandising strategy and delivering profitable results for their assigned product categories. The position will develop and execute business strategies that align with the company vision and initiatives while partnering with key cross functional partners.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Assortment Strategy and Management

• As the category expert, they must understand our Customer’s needs, and develop relevant quality product assortments for our stores.  
• Analyze and monitor sales, trends and economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns.
• Determine demand forecasts for everyday and promotional periods.
• Continually review current items in assigned categories for reorder, alternate sourcing, or to be discontinued.
• Monitor competitors’ sales activities by following their advertisements in newspapers and other media, as well as shopping their locations.
• Utilize market research to determine optimal regular and promotional pricing strategy.
• Provide strategic direction for the development of advertising and marketing initiatives.
• Analyze, select, order, and procure merchandise at the most favorable cost, consistent with the quality and quantity requirements.

Financial Accountability

• Own and manage the financial KPI’s, including Sales, Gross Margin $’s and GMROI.
• Negotiate costs, discounts, VPP and freight terms for assigned categories.
• Set or recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, and selling prices for procured product.

Sourcing and Procurement

• Establish and maintain strategic supplier relationships, aligning suppliers, products and services to meet the needs of the business.
• Attend trade shows to identify product opportunities and enhance business relationships.

Leadership and Management

• Strategic and tactical ownership, accountability and execution for the assigned product category Line Review process in conjunction with departmental strategic objectives.
• Serve as project manager for all merchandising-driven initiatives in support of assigned categories.
• Demonstrate effective presentation skills of their merchandising strategy, to ensure buy-in and engagement across the entire organization.

Partnership and Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams including

• Partner with Store Operations on the development and delivery of effective product knowledge training.
• Partner with Store Operations and Marketing to develop a deeper understanding of customer product needs and preferences.
• Partner with Inventory Management to ensure optimal in-stock levels and exit strategies.
• Marketing/Visual Merchandising to deliver improved in-store presentation, Point-of-Purchase materials and marketing strategies.
• Develop strong working relationships with Ace counterparts to fully leverage available product assortments, customer research and partner of strategic initiatives to further category performance.
• Interact with field and store associates to help solve merchandise problems and acquire product information.

Other Essential Requirements

Ability to exhibit and incorporate our Core Values into daily decisions and interactions with others:

• SERVICE – Amaze our customers, our associates and our communities by delivering on our helpful promise.
• PASSION – Showing our love for the work we do, our customers, and our associates.
• RESPECT – A humble appreciation that a diverse and inclusive workplace makes us a stronger and better company and that every person is unique and valued.
• INTEGRITY – An authentic commitment to moral and ethical behavior.
• TEAMWORK – Together we can achieve extraordinary things.
• EXCELLENCE– A disciplined approach to achieve outstanding results through continuous improvement.

Minimum Skills, Requirements and Qualifications

• BS/BA Degree in Business Management preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Interest or class work in Merchandising or Buying.
• Solid understanding of retail operations, relationship sales skills, business fundamentals, merchandising strategies and assortment planning.
• Knowledge of the neighborhood hardware store B2B and DIY customer.
• Refined interpersonal skills to engage with others both written and verbal.
• Solid negotiating and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic business environment and work independently.
• Ability to successfully lead teams backed with strong management skills.
• Analytical and organized team player who is both customer-focused and business minded.
• Strong working knowledge of Excel (charts, VLookUps, data manipulation and macro execution).
• Thorough understanding of MS Word and strong skills in PowerPoint to support category presentations.
• Travel as required.

Standing, walking, lifting (up to 25lbs) and climbing.

Compensation Details

$55000 - $110000 / year

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Equal Opportunity Employer
Westlake Ace Hardware is committed to a policy of promoting equal employment opportunities. The company recognizes the importance of diversity and leveraging the skills and talents of all people to the mutual advantage of each individual and the organization. The company is committed to the prevention of employment discrimination related to race, religion, color, sex (including sexual harassment), gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, disability and military discharge, or any other action covered by federal or state laws.