Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States
Develop and manage the national category strategy for Value Added Frozen Grocery product portfolio of categories including Fried Frozen Potatoes, Fried Appetizers, Soup and Refrigerated Salads.
Develop and manage the national category strategy for Value Added Grocery product portfolio of categories including Bulk and Portion Control Sauces, Salad Dressings, Mayonnaise, Wet Ingredients, Pickles and Pudding •Execute category sourcing strategies through development and implementation of RFP’s, supplier negotiations, strategic pricing reviews, cash flow improvement, promotions, commodity purchases and contract updates •Monitor and analyze category performance on a national, regional and division level for Private Label and manufacturer brands •Lead effort to drive Exclusive Brand (EB) penetration across category including both category promotion strategy and materials •Manage on-going vendor relationships; lead negotiations, vendor performance and category growth including innovative products •Establish product specifications in conjunction with Product Development to manage overall category product assortment •Identify EB portfolio opportunities in collaboration with product development to drive product innovation •Develop category level pricing strategies to maximize performance in collaboration with pricing analytics team •Mentor and train associate category manager
Support Category Manager in executing strategy to grow sales and increase profitability Plan and execute marketing initiatives with vendors and work with field on execution Analyze pricing and assortments to ensure our products mix is competitive Negotiation of USF SVM strategy to align vendors through One Door and enhance profitability Grow private label share through introduction of new items. An example of this is the House Cut Fry which was developed to penetrate Ind Rest Segment.
Associate Buyer for DIY Hardware, Home Security, and Bath Categories Development and execution of sales and margin for categories with annual retail revenue of over $100 million Drive incremental sales and gross margin dollars through maximizing print and online advertising. Collaborate with operations and sales teams to create in-store promotions and maximize planogram, end cap, and seasonal space Assortment analysis and financial forecasting for planogram resets Maintain vendor relationships, negotiate cost, subsidy and promotional agreements Work with head merchant to develop strategy for national brands such as PUR, Brita, First Alert, Conair, Taylor, and Waterpik
Work with Buyers and Product Development to prepare all sourcing information for Kmart Knit Products Current Apparel Brands include: Jaclyn Smith, Attention, Route 66, Basic Editions, Joe Boxer, Athletech Assist with preparation of target pricing, development of samples, and price negotiations Maintain awareness of all production issues and assist in resolution to ensure on-time production and delivery. Interface with QA, Merchandising, and Product Development to ensure final product meets specifications. Utilize supporting electronic system such as Item Maintenance Application (IMA) & Costing Model Application (CMA) for packaging, pricing, delivery, quantity, and description. Participate in Line Presentation and work closely with design and pre-production on product construction and pricing to work within target price range that has been established by the merchant Develop vendor relationships and travel to HK international buying office for product negotiation and placement.
Support Field Account Managers and Key Account Managers with new incentive plan rollout for travel agency accounts. Rolling out post bankruptcy incentive plan. Contract development of a new program that pays travel agencies front-end and back-end incentives based off overall market share. Resolve contract related issues in new account acquisition, contract renewal, amendments, discounts, and updates. Establish QC checklist to ensure that necessary data, documents, and customer information is system ready through verifying reports pulled from AS/400 database. Build contracts in United’s Contract Modeling Application and distribute to field sales through a web based application called Process Workflow. Develop reports, spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations to transition customers to the new program.
Generate sales and develop accounts for computer hardware, software, and technical services through effective prospecting, cold calling, referral, and networking strategies. Build, cultivate, and maintain long-term relationships with all levels through to executive management in IT, purchasing, procurement, and accounting. Received recognition award for being in the top 10% in sales and profit during Q1 & Q3 2003. Discuss customer project requirements, build project plan, establish financial budget. Research and train in product areas of networking, security, operating systems, software license management, computers, servers, storage, consumables, and accessories. Develop and manage multiple business accounts and IT projects while providing superior customer service Generate and submit monthly forecast and account status reports for senior management review.