Category Manager, National Merchandising

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Who We Are:

At Ashley, inspiring the love of home is at the heart of everything we do. As the world’s largest manufacturer of home furnishings, we’re more than a business — we’re a family driven by innovation, competitiveness, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. We persevere through challenges, push beyond the status quo, and constantly seek better ways to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Our solutions-first mindset and dedication to growth are why Ashley remains #1 in our industry.

If you’re ready to grow, you’ve come to the right place. With a true “Growth Mindset,” Ashley Furniture invests in developing future leaders and helps every team member learn from the best in the business.

Please login to your UKG account and apply using the internal job board.

The Category Manager – National Merchandising is responsible for developing and executing category strategies and seasonal assortment plans that maximize retail brand presence, sales performance, and profitability. This role serves as the category expert, identifying new product opportunities, optimizing existing assortments, and ensuring consistent execution across all national merchandising channels.

This position collaborates cross-functionally with product development, sourcing, planning, pricing, marketing, and visual merchandising teams to deliver trend-right, financially sound assortments

• Develop and execute category strategies and seasonal assortment plans aligned with company objectives
• Serve as the category subject matter expert; optimize assortments by introducing new products and eliminating underperforming SKUs
• Build seasonal product mixes by channel, including pricing tiers, subcategory segmentation, and SKU productivity
• Present data-driven insights and actionable recommendations to leadership

• Analyze category performance through sales, margin, pricing, and inventory productivity metrics
• Conduct process category reviews to identify risks and opportunities
• Partner with planning and pricing teams to implement pricing strategies, including markdowns and promotional adjustments
• Drive category sales, margin expansion, and inventory efficiency

• Collaborate with product development and sourcing to bring trend-right, customer-focused products to market
• Manage product lifecycle from concept through launch, including merchandising strategy and campaign alignment
• Recommend product positioning, pricing architecture, and assortment expansions

• Partner with merchandising, marketing, creative, and visual teams to execute cohesive product strategies
• Align on promotional calendars, campaign support, and go-to-market plans
• Work closely with regional merchandising and store teams to ensure effective in-store execution and feedback loops

• Conduct store visits and engage with regional teams to gather insights on customer preferences and product performance
• Utilize feedback to refine assortments and identify growth opportunities
• Perform competitive analysis and market research to stay current on industry trends and customer expectations
• Partner with visual merchandising teams to guide floor layout decisions and storytelling
• Support showroom setup, market preparation, and seasonal presentations
• Maintain high standards of merchandising that reflect brand positioning

• Ensure adherence to merchandising processes and seasonal timelines
• Support cross-functional alignment to deliver on key milestones and product launches
• Participate in major furniture markets to assess trends and evaluate product opportunities

• Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Business, Marketing, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in merchandising, category management, or retail buying
• Strong analytical skills with experience in sales, margin, and inventory analysis
• Proven ability to develop and execute category strategies
• Experience collaborating across…