Assistant Grocery Sales Manager

Job Description

Position Purpose

The Assistant Sales Manager partners with the Division Sales Manager to strategically manage assigned department categories to increase sales, gross profit dollars, and market share while meeting or exceeding projected business objectives. This role is responsible for developing and implementing pricing strategies, promotional plans, assortment decisions, and merchandising schematics based on detailed business analysis, industry trends, and consumer insights.

• Assist in supporting total store customer service initiatives throughout the division.
• Develop annual category business plans based on historical performance, market trends, customer insights, and competitive analysis.
• Manage assigned categories to meet or exceed sales, profit, and market share objectives.
• Create category-level sales and gross profit projections that align with departmental and divisional goals.
• Maintain weekly, quarterly, and annual scorecards tracking sales, gross profit dollars, and market share performance.
• Measure category contributions and overall impact on department performance.
• Conduct detailed post-promotional analyses to evaluate sales, profit, and share results.

• Develop and maintain category pricing strategies by zone throughout the year.
• Create and implement promotional calendars that support divisional merchandising objectives.
• Plan advertisements, displays, and merchandising programs to support category and department initiatives.
• Design merchandising schematics and recommend product adjacencies that support category roles and customer shopping behaviors.
• Determine optimal product assortments, approve new items, and discontinue underperforming products.
• Maximize vendor funding opportunities to improve category performance and profitability.

• Serve as the primary divisional contact for vendors within assigned categories.
• Meet regularly with vendors to negotiate programs, discuss business performance, and identify growth opportunities.
• Attend key vendor planning meetings and collaborative business reviews.
• Work closely with procurement teams to ensure product availability, service levels, and inventory performance align with category plans.

• Coordinate and communicate merchandising initiatives between stores, merchandising teams, procurement, and other divisional departments.
• Collaborate with department team members, division leadership, and corporate merchandising teams to execute programs effectively.
• Communicate category strategies, promotional plans, and merchandising objectives to key stakeholders.
• Support and implement company-wide and corporate initiatives.

• Visit stores as needed to evaluate merchandising execution and program effectiveness.
• Provide direct supervision to assigned office support staff.
• Provide functional guidance and support to Buyers.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by management.

Performance is measured through:

• Sales results
• Gross profit dollar contribution
• Market share performance
• Category profitability
• Promotional effectiveness

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.

• Previous store operations, merchandising, category management, or related retail experience preferred.
• Experience analyzing sales trends, financial results, and merchandising opportunities.

• Strong understanding of retail operations, merchandising principles, and category management.
• Ability to read, interpret, and analyze profit and loss statements.
• Strong analytical, mathematical, statistical, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to make sound business decisions based on data and market conditions.
• Excellent planning, organizational, and project management skills.
• Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external business partners.
• Knowledge of Category Business Planning principles.
• Familiarity with…