Description
Develop data-driven assortment, pricing, promotion, and space plans for a merchandise category to maximize sales, margin, and inventory productivity. Analyze consumer, market, and competitive trends and partner with merchants, supply chain, vendors, and marketing to execute strategies across channels. Lead line reviews, planograms, and item lifecycle decisions.
- • Analyze sales, shopper, and market data to forecast demand and set category goals.
- • Build data-driven assortment strategies and item lifecycle plans (adds, edits, deletes).
- • Create and optimize planograms and space allocation to maximize sales and margin.
- • Partner with merchants, allocators, and store operations on budgets, space, and execution.
- • Recommend pricing, markups, markdowns, and clearance strategies by channel.
- • Develop promotional calendars and select featured items, offers, and media.
- • Track competitor assortment, pricing, and promotions to inform strategy.
- • Collaborate with vendors on innovation, exclusives, and packaging improvements.
- • Negotiate promotional funding, placement, and terms with suppliers.
- • Review samples and product quality metrics to validate category fit.
- • Present category plans and line reviews to leadership and cross-functional teams.
- • Set inventory targets and replenishment parameters with supply chain partners.
- • Ensure accurate product attributes, UPCs, and pricing for shelf labels and online.
- • Monitor post-promotion and seasonal performance; deliver insights and actions.
- • Identify assortment gaps and opportunities in sustainable or eco-preferred products.
- • Plan introductions and exits of items, including timing and sell-through plans.
- • Evaluate space, case-pack, and logistics constraints when planning assortments.
- • Train field or store teams on planogram changes and category updates.
- • Resolve vendor invoice or promo funding discrepancies related to category plans.
- • Maintain category scorecards and KPIs for sales, margin, turns, and availability.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
