Category Manager - Center Store​/Frozen

Overview

Are you passionate about merchandising, analyzing trends, and building strong relationships? If yes, join the Coborn’s Merchandising Team as a Category Manager! As we continue to stay competitive in the grocery retail industry, Coborn's is in search of category merchandisers who can own a product category - optimizing product assortment, negotiating with suppliers, enhancing sales, while driving the growth of our organization.

With a team of expert merchandising professionals, you will have the opportunity to make an impact on our employee-owned business and the communities that we serve! Strengthening our understanding of consumer trends is what we aim to do, and we are committed to hiring category managers to help us get there.

If you are not familiar with grocery retail, it's not a problem! We encourage all category managers, of diverse backgrounds, to apply!

• Category Strategy: Develop and execute category growth strategies to maximize sales, market share, and profitability with a guest-centric approach aligning with the consumer needs, preferences, and shopping behaviors.
• Product Assortment Optimization: Manage product assortment, ensuring the right mix of products, including core, seasonal, and new items, to minimize redundancy, enhance category performance and maximize sales.
• Pricing Strategy: Establish competitive pricing models, including everyday pricing, promotional pricing, and value perception.
• Merchandising & Placement: Decide how products are displayed and organized to enhance visibility and increase purchases.
• Supplier & Vendor Relationships: Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers and vendors to negotiate pricing, secure exclusive deals, promotional planning, and develop strategic partnerships.
• Promotional Planning: Design and execute marketing and promotional campaigns to drive category growth, brand awareness, and maximize sales and profitability.
• Data & Performance Analysis: Analyze key performance indicators (KPI's) to include sales, guest insights, and market trends to make data driven decisions that will improve margins, market share, and other areas of improvement within the category; continuously refine the category strategy.
• Trends & Innovation: Monitor competitor activities and emerging trends to identify opportunities and introduce new products and programs to keep the category competitive and relevant.
• Collaboration & Execution: Work with suppliers, vendors, and internal marketing and operations teams to ensure effective category execution on programs that are high impact and easy to execute.
• Financial Forecasting & Planning: Manage category budgets and forecasts for sales, profit, inventory, and in stocks to deliver on the established annual performance targets.

Our remarkable employees are at the heart of everything we do. At Coborn’s, we’re committed to creating a supportive and rewarding workplace—one that offers a vibrant, team-oriented environment, ongoing career growth, and meaningful benefits. As an employee‑owned company, we believe in investing in our people and their futures.

We're proud to offer a variety of benefits to both our full‑time and part‑time employees, including:

• Medical Insurance with Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• 401(k) plan options – we also match up to 20% of the first 5% contributed
• Participation in our Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) – yes, we’re employee‑owned! Our team members benefit from the success of the company through this company‑sponsored benefit!
• Education benefits, including tuition discounts and scholarship programs
• 10% employee discount on grocery items, with additional franchise‑specific discounts available at company‑owned Ace Hardware, Caribou Coffee, Erbert and Gerbert’s, and Pet Supplies Plus locations.
• Paid Time Off (PTO/Vacation)
• Paid Military Leave
• Employee recognition programs with monetary rewards, including in-store vouchers, years of service, and employee of the month
• Employee Health & Wellness Programs, Challenges and Resources – to assist our team members in living a life of well‑being!
• Get…