Associate Merchandise Manager; Store Support Center, Overland Park, KS

Associate Merchandising Manager

Ace Retail Group (ARG), a division of Ace Hardware Corporation, is looking for an Associate Merchandising Manager. ARG owns and operates several Ace brands and is one of the largest hardware retailers in the United States. With over 250 neighborhood stores nationwide, ARG's success is driven by its people who are passionate about personal and professional growth and who want to be part of a company built on strong Core Values:
Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude, Humility and Teamwork.

General

Job Summary:

The Associate Merchandising Manager is responsible for developing merchandising strategies and delivering profitable sales results that support the identified business segments, Impulse, Consumables, Toys, Stationary and Holiday, working closely with cross-functional partners throughout the organization.

• Assortment Strategy and Management
  • Leads the category development for Impulse, Consumables, Toys, Stationery and Holiday.
  • Develop quality product assortments that drive sales and profitable growth in the key categories.
  • Provide strategic direction for the development of advertising and marketing initiatives to drive sales and transaction growth.
  • Identify localized opportunities to ensure a merchandise assortment that meets the needs of the varied consumer base where appropriate.
  • Support assortment planning, pre-season ordering, and vendor management in conjunction with Merchandising Manager.
  • Analyze and monitor sales, trends, and economic conditions within a specific category to anticipate consumer buying patterns.
  • Maintain strong understanding of the competition, the marketplace and industry.
• Financial Accountability
  • Accountability and management of financial Key Performance Indicators for Impulse, Consumables, Toys, Stationary and Holiday, including sales, net margin, sell-through and GMROI.
  • Negotiate costs, discounts, rebates, VPP (Vendor Partnership Program) and freight terms for assigned categories.
• Sourcing and Procurement
  • Establish and maintain strategic supplier relationships, aligning suppliers, products, and services to meet the needs of the business.
  • Work in collaboration with inventory management to determine demand forecasts for everyday and promotional opportunities.
  • Attend trade shows to identify product opportunities and enhance business relationships.
• Leadership and Management
  • Define and implement departmental strategic objectives with both short and long-term plans developed.
  • Strategic and tactical ownership, accountability, and execution for the assigned product category Line Review process.
  • Demonstrate effective presentation skills of merchandising strategies to ensure buy-in and engagement across the entire organization.
  • Serve as project manager for merchandising-driven initiatives in support of key categories.
• Partnership and Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams including
  • Store Operations on the understanding of market and customer needs.
  • 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 on strategic initiatives to further category performance.

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

• WINNING – In business, money is the score. To win, we must perform, compete, and have fun. At Ace, we win through people- our strength is being helpful.
• EXCELLENCE – Excellence honors God and inspires people. We aspire to be the best, to continuously improve and to inspire others by giving the team our very best.
• LOVE – Love the people, love the work and love the results.
• INTEGRITY – For Ace to win, we need to be able to trust each other. And trust will require us to be honest, reliable, caring, of high character and of unquestioned ethics.
• GRATITUDE – We recognize that we are blessed to be in the business of serving others.
• HUMILITY – We strive for greatness with a humble,…