Overview Of The Role:
The Category Manager is responsible for supporting the Head of Commercial in developing category strategies to maximize sales and gross margin, while managing inventory objectives for specific brands. The role involves strategic planning for sustained growth across multiple markets, managing financial dimensions of up to 100m AED+ across five countries, and overseeing a small team. Success is measured through stock availability, brand mix, sell-through rates, and performance surveys among other KPIs.
What You Will Do:
General
- Develop, implement, and deliver category plans including range reviews, promotions pricing, and stock that align with overall commercial strategy and financial objectives.
- Collaborate with the Marketing team to create marketing promotion plans that adhere to legislation, brand guidelines, and effectively communicate with the customer to drive profitable sales.
- Review and evaluate the effectiveness of promotions, taking appropriate action, and share best practices with peers and stakeholders.
- Work with Exclusive Brands to develop and offer exclusive products and ranges that increase participation and meet strategic plans.
- Coordinate with the planning team to establish merchandising strategies that deliver the right range in stores, ensuring availability and managing slow-moving stock.
- Identify and implement new product opportunities that are competitively priced, viable, and meet customer needs to drive sales and profitability.
- Manage and review pricing to ensure competitiveness and maximize profitability within the company pricing strategy.
- Work with the planning team to adhere to base sales and promotional forecasts, maintaining store availability for customer needs.
- Develop effective internal relationships with cross-functional team members to support category objectives and performance.
- Build and maintain effective external relationships to enhance the Watsons proposition and meet customer needs.
- Employ negotiation strategies to secure the best terms for the category and business.
- Utilize and continually develop expertise in category products, competitors, and market activities to improve category performance.
Skills
Required Skills To Be Successful:
- Strong analytical and decision-making skills.
- Commercial awareness and creative ability to enhance category performance.
- Effective communication and negotiation skills.
- Ability to work efficiently under pressure and manage multiple tasks.
What Qualifies You For The Role:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent preferred.
- Minimum 6-7 years of experience as a buyer in a retail environment.
- Minimum 2 years of experience in a cosmetics industry buying role.
- Strong analytical skills, commercial awareness, and negotiation skills.
- Proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment with strong organizational and time management skills.
