Category Manager

Position Purpose The Category Manager – Floral Supplies is responsible for the overall strategy, performance, and standardization of Mayesh Wholesale Florist's hardgoods and floral supplies category across multiple branch locations. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, this position provides leadership for category strategy, inventory optimization, purchasing practices, vendor relationships, pricing strategy, assortment governance, SKU management, and product lifecycle management. Working collaboratively with Branch Managers and Hardgoods Leads, the Category Manager establishes company-wide standards and best practices that improve inventory performance, profitability, consistency, and customer satisfaction. This position serves as the company's primary business owner for the floral supplies category and is responsible for driving continuous improvement, supporting branch operations, and developing scalable processes that support future growth, acquisitions, and new branch openings. Category Management & Product Strategy Manage the overall performance of the floral supplies and hardgoods category across multiple branch locations. Develop category strategies supporting sales growth, margin improvement, inventory efficiency, pricing strategy, and product assortment. Research new products, suppliers, and category opportunities. Analyze product profitability and recommend pricing adjustments. Evaluate promotional pricing and effectiveness. Inventory Management & Purchasing Monitor inventory investment, turns, stock levels, and replenishment practices. Identify slow-moving, obsolete, duplicate, and excess inventory. Partner with branches to improve purchasing decisions and forecasting. SKU & Assortment Governance Own company-wide SKU and assortment governance. Standardize product setup, naming conventions, units of measure, and purchasing practices. Approve new SKUs, substitutions, and assortment exceptions. Serve as business owner for floral supplies master data. Partner with Operations and IT & Business Systems to maintain data quality. Vendor & Supplier Management Develop supplier relationships. Negotiate pricing, rebates, freight, and promotional programs. Evaluate vendor performance and identify sourcing opportunities. Branch Support & Training Partner with Branch Managers and Hardgoods Leads. Travel to branches to review inventory, merchandising, and purchasing practices. Provide training and support acquisitions and new branch openings. Reporting & Analysis Develop KPIs for sales, margin, inventory turns, fill rates, vendor performance, and inventory investment. Present recommendations and performance metrics to leadership. Preferred Experience 5+ years in category management, merchandising, purchasing, inventory management, or wholesale distribution. Experience with ERP systems and inventory management software; NetSuite experience is a plus. Experience negotiating with vendors and managing large SKU portfolios. Multi-location wholesale, floral, agricultural, retail, or supply chain experience preferred. Skills & Attributes Strong analytical and communication skills. Ability to influence without direct authority. Strong organizational and project management abilities. Willingness to travel periodically. Success in This Role Improve inventory turns, margins, vendor partnerships, pricing discipline, SKU and assortment governance, and standardization across all branch locations. WCMFzbqsfD

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