Category Manager (Nonfood)

The CM takes responsibility for the entire life cycle of his category of products: from sourcing (brands) or inception (private label products) to quality control and eventually sales.
• Be an expert in his category of products
• Observe the market (competitors) to constantly have a comprehensive view on products and product developments
• Carry out regular store visits: own stores, competitors including specific local formats such as local supermarkets, Mom and Pop stores, wet markets
• Support the process of defining and constantly adjusting the assortment
• Negotiate lowest possible cost prices and best possible terms (a.o. payment terms)
• Based on the market situation propose private label products
• Find the best suitable suppliers for brand and private label products
• Along with suppliers develop private label products and source them
• Develop stable and long-term relationships with suitable suppliers
• Monitor the quality of products, most critically private label products, by
o Being involved in quality control in the warehouses: provide guidance and issue product sheets to enable receiving and regional purchasing to exercise QC
o Carrying out regular quality controls himself (tastings with CM's or senior management)
o Supervise external quality control through QC organizations (laboratories)
• Carry out price surveys in competitor stores
• Advise and monitor price surveys that are carried out by external or internal people
• Ensure sales prices are at all times at the lowest sales price level
• Prepare and participate in a ca. monthly meeting, the General Purchasing Meeting, in which he will lay out his proposals for products and sales prices.
• Prepare and participate in the Weekly Sales Meeting, in which short term and operational matters will be decided: product introductions, sales price changes, promotional activities (launch and analysis), a few other day to day matters that may be brought forward by Central Purchasing or Sales
• Prepare and check key internal documents: reports, weekly assortment information to regional offices (warehouses), weekly circular to stores
• Advise his line manager and the senior management of the company on anything as it pertains to our customer offering