Who is Category Manager ?
Usually working for retailers, category managers handle a specific category of merchandise such as electronics, clothing, auto supplies, or home goods. Their responsibilities include managing a cross-functional team, making decisions about which products to sell, helping with procurement, assisting with marketing and promotion, and overseeing inventory. Category managers require familiarity with marketing, sales, and supply chain management and are both creative and analytical in their decision-making.
What does a Category Manager do?
Category managers handle marketing and merchandise displays for specific categories of products. They develop everything for their product category that customers see on the retail shelf along with marketing/informational materials and retail displays. They also analyze sales data, meet with suppliers/retailers, and review planograms.
Job brief
We are searching for a highly skilled category manager to handle product categories for our business. In this role, you will be required to market product categories effectively, discuss strategies with management, brief market research companies, update internal reports, perform regular retail checks, and drive sales through different planogram strategies.
Duties
- Ensuring company product categories along with displays are optimized for sales and marketing.
- Researching and analyzing trends in sales and consumer behavior.
- Drafting reports for the organization to enhance sales.
- Producing, adapting, and advising on display and current marketing materials as needed.
- Planning and implementing planograms for shelf displays.
- Communicating with suppliers and retailers about products.
- Optimizing in-store displays with prompted signage, category markers, and category usage tips.
- Adjusting strategies and materials to improve sales with new target markets.
- Coordinating and briefing market research initiatives.
- Checking and managing inventory for various product categories.
Key Skills and Requirements
- A bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or supply chain management.
- Three years' experience in retail and marketing.
- Proficiency in supplier management software like Retail Link, Apollo, Nielsen Spectra.
- An excellent grasp of spatial, design, and promotional planning.
- Up to date with the latest category management principles.
- Proficient at evaluating current business retail practices.
- Ability to write well and generate reports on market activity.
- Possess great negotiation and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to think from a consumer perspective and understand buying behavior.
- Analytical, creative, and goal-driven thinking.
