Category Manager - Produce

Category Manager - Produce

The Produce Category Manager is responsible for leading the strategy, assortment, sourcing, pricing, promotions, and overall performance of the Produce category across all Nature’s Fare Markets locations. This role focuses on delivering high-quality fresh, organic, seasonal, and local produce while building strong relationships with local growers, preferred vendors, and internal teams. The Produce Category Manager manages seasonality, supports local procurement through backhaul and cross dock programs, partners with Marketing to highlight grower relationships and seasonal stories, and communicates clear expectations, programs, best practices, and seasonal shifts to stores.

This role works closely with the Produce Operations Specialist to ensure category strategy is translated into strong, consistent store execution.

• Develop and implement category strategies for Produce that balance freshness, quality, local sourcing, seasonality, sales growth, margin, and customer experience.
• Analyze market trends, customer preferences, produce movement, shrink, and store-level performance to optimize assortment and merchandising decisions.
• Manage seasonal assortment planning, including regional growing seasons, import transitions, local crop availability, and key holiday or promotional periods.
• Oversee product selection, retail pricing, promotional planning, and margin management for fresh, organic, local, and priority Produce items.
• Drive sales and margin growth through vendor negotiations, preferred vendor programs, special buys, seasonal prebook opportunities, value add program and disciplined management of shrink-sensitive items.
• Support store teams by ensuring appropriate product mix, seasonal availability, space allocation recommendations, and communication of category priorities.
• Ensure all Produce meets Nature’s Fare quality, organic, sourcing, and food safety expectations.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Purchasing, and Store Operations to support seasonal campaigns, grower storytelling, promotional programs, and consistent in-store execution.

• Provide category leadership, support, and direction to Produce Operations Manager, Produce Department Managers, store teams, and internal partners.
• Collaborate with Department Managers and the Produce Operations Specialist to support coaching, communication, and performance feedback related to Produce execution.
• Conduct Produce Manager calls to foster communication, share best practices, identify seasonal or quality challenges, and reinforce expectations.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with local growers, preferred vendors, distributors, brokers, and other Produce supply partners.
• Source fresh, local, organic, and seasonal produce with a focus on quality, availability, pricing, grower alignment, and fit for Nature’s Fare standards.
• Manage local grower programs, including planning for harvest windows, crop availability, volume commitments, pricing, quality expectations, and store communication.
• Coordinate backhaul and cross dock opportunities to improve access to local produce, support freshness, reduce complexity for growers, and create efficient distribution solutions.
• Negotiate pricing, promotional support, ad funding, credits, quality resolution, and seasonal opportunities with preferred vendors and grower partners.
• Ensure vendors and growers meet listing, quality, delivery, food safety, organic, and communication requirements.

• Review category sales reports, analyze performance, and identify growth opportunities.
• Use analytics to measure effectiveness of assortment, pricing, and promotions.
• Coordinate with administrative…