Associate Category Business Manager

What you'll do

Our Merchandising team is responsible for connecting our quality products and services with our customers. The team uses planning and forecasting frameworks and tools to ensure optimal financial results. The Associate Category Business Manager is responsible for the curation of product assortments, marketing initiatives and promotional strategy. Development and implementation of the category plans, to effectively deliver and achieve the financial objectives related to the category and the management of inventory targets and deliveries. Reporting into Category Business Manager.

To excel as an Associate Category Business Manager, you'll be able to integrate and align to the various cross-functional teams to conduct line reviews, support vendor negotiations and to create customer centric assortments. As an industry expert you will be actively identifying product and market trends within their associated lifecycles, leading to your continuous advocacy for innovation and growth within the category.

• Develop and implement business plans for merchandise categories including analysis of sales, industry trends, building product sales projections, validation of margin targets, inventory levels, and stock turn levels

• Responsible for Assortment Optimization Tool (AOT) inputs and style creation for assortment planning process

• Collaborate with Financial Planners to ensure financial plans align with category strategy

• Develop and implement assortment plans including the following: store and market analysis, product line reviews with vendors, selection of programs for various banners, establishment of initial store inventory levels, price negotiation, and confirmation of retail pricing

• Oversees purchase order status including preparation, recording, and tracking of purchase orders as well as the resolution of shipping issues with distribution centers and suppliers

• Manage the Open to Buy and inventory productivity including analysis of product and store sales, inventory sell through, and receipts

• Analyze performance by style, react to trends and opportunities.

• Oversee assessment of store inventory levels to provide the Merchandising Allocator support in driving sales and profitability, through the effective management of back stock and in-store inventory.

• Create, manage, and communicate advertising support for both traditional and digital media. Collaborate with the social marketing team to create social engagement strategies for categories

• Responsible for Promo Optimization and Stimulation Tool (POST) submissions in supporting promotional executions

• Proof advertising assets and assist in internal communications to store operations and marketing teams to ensure accurate product and price content at store level and online

• Proof, critique, and approve in-store creative and provide in-store marketing direction to the visual Merchandising department as needed

• Be a Sport Chek ambassador. Speak knowledgably regarding the Sport Chek story, strategic plan, and direction

• Build and maintain positive relationships with internal and external partners

• Support the CBM in the negotiation policy agreements including discounts, payment and freight terms, volume rebates, brand development, co-op advertising and TRM extra project funds

• Collaborate with the consumer brands division to develop private label products, support retail price point conversation, and approve samples

• Develop and implement quarterly and annual category strategies.

• Create a detailed current state of business, target demographic, and brand mix summary along with a desired future state business and plan to bridge the current and future state.

• Conduct market tours of Sport Chek and competitive retail with the intent to drive continual improvement

What you bring

• You have 2-3 years of experience in retail in a merchandising/buying/analytical role, or similar role.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate, influence, and negotiate with colleagues and business members / management

• Strong presentation skills with demonstrated ability to adjust style and format as required to suit the audience

• Marketplace knowledge within the sportswear, lifestyle team sports, and outdoor industries, would be an advantage

• Demonstrated proficiency in inventory practices with an understanding of their financial and operational impacts

• The ability to challenge and voice concerns, as well as be very adaptable and flexible in a dynamic retail environment

• Time management and planning skills

• Work with a sense of urgency and take extreme ownership

• Our best Associate Category Business Managers are SMEs (subject-matter-experts) who connect well with all key stakeholders and are committed to better understanding our customers by analyzing product, Industry and customer data to evolve their merchandising category.

Hybrid

We value flexibility. We have adopted a hybrid work model whereby employees use a combination of working in office and virtually in service of outcomes. Each leader is empowered to decide what work is best achieved in person based on the unique needs of their team.

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About Us

At Sport Chek, we want to find what moves you, and help build your career from there. As Canada's destination for footwear, apparel, and sporting goods; we believe that sport and activity has the power to help shape your style, your relationships, and your mind. Along with colleagues across the Canadian Tire family of companies, you'll be a part of a collaborative network of like-minded individuals who draw on their collective experience to best serve customers across all banners from coast-to-coast. Join us, where there's a place for you here.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

We are committed to fostering an environment where belonging thrives, and diversity, inclusion and equity are infused into everything we do. We believe in building an organizational culture where people are consistently treated with dignity while respecting individual religion, nationality, gender, race, age, perceived ability, spoken language, sexual orientation, and identification. We are united in our purpose of being here to help make life in Canada better.

Accommodations

We stand firm in our Core Value that inclusion is a must. We welcome and encourage candidates from equity-seeking groups such as people who identify as racialized, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, women, people with disabilities, and beyond. Should you require any accommodation in applying for this role, or throughout the interview process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to help meet your needs.