Associate Category Manager - Loves Travel Stops & Country Store

Req ID: 446200 

Benefits: 401(k) – 100% Match up to 5%, Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance, Company-Funded Tuition Program, Paid Time Off, Hiring Immediately

BASIC PURPOSE: The Associate Merchant is responsible for overseeing assigned categories and selecting and purchasing products that align with the company’s sales strategy and customer preferences. This role involves analyzing market trends, forecasting demand, negotiating with suppliers, and managing inventory to ensure optimal stock levels and profitability. The Associate Merchant aims to deliver a compelling product assortment that drives sales, enhances customer satisfaction, and supports the overall business objectives.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Act as the category manager and buyer for assigned categories: Fashion, Novelty, and General Merchandise.
• Support the development, planning, and implementation of strategic plans for given categories.
• Leverage data and resources to make informed product-level and category-level decisions. Regularly review data to measure impacts of implemented strategies.
• Deploy tests (product, fixture, vendor, distribution, etc.) and measure success metrics.
• Strategize, manage, support private brand consumable products.
• Support the development of the 4 P’s of Marketing for given categories (product, place, price, promotion).
• Support the development of a set review process/Joint Business Planning Process (JBP)/LAB (yearly planning) for the merchandising department.
• Responsible for providing year-over-year growth and for exceeding budget and P&L goals.
• Build collaborative relationships with cross-functional team individual contributors. Partner with marketing, support, and operations teams to ensure seamless execution of merchandising strategies and campaigns.
• Evaluate and select vendors based on performance metrics, quality standards, and cost-effectiveness. Own relationships of lower volume vendors, keeping the Supervisor/Manager informed of recent developments, challenges, support needed.
• Prepare reports and presentations for senior management, highlighting key performance indicators, trends, and recommendations.
• Other duties as needed or assigned

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS:

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, merchandising, fashion merchandising or a related field is preferred.
• Experience:
  • 2+ years in retail merchandise buying is required.
  • Experience working as a merchant, retail buyer, category manager, and or retail merchandising planner is preferred.
  • Experience managing vendor relations, 3rd party suppliers, distributors required.
  • Experience supervising a team is preferred.
  • Rebate and accounts receivable experience is a plus.
  • SAP, back office systems experience is a plus.
  • Convenience Store buyer experience is a plus.
  • Retail product and brand development experience is ideal.
• Skills:
  • Hard skills: Knowledgeable and proficient within Microsoft Office programs (Excel, PowerPoint etc), Data Tools. Proficiency in MS Excel and PowerPoint is required. 
  • Soft Skills: As a buyer and category manager good written and verbal communications skills are a must. As well as, having strong analytical skills, attention to detail, self-motivation, and ability to work in a fast-paced changing environment.

This full time position is located at Love's Corporate Headquarters in Oklahoma City. This is an in-office/onsite position.

Job Function(s): Corporate 

Love’s has been fueling customers’ journeys since 1964. Innovation and perseverance continue to lead the way for the family-owned and -operated business headquartered in Oklahoma City with more than 40,000 team members in North America and Europe. The company’s core business is travel stops and convenience stores with more than 630 locations in 42 states. Love’s continues its commitment to offer products and services that provide value for professional drivers, fleets, four-wheel customers, RVers, alternative fuel and wholesale fuel customers. Giving back to communities Love’s serves and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workplace are hallmarks of the company’s award-winning culture.

The Love’s Family of Companies includes:

• Gemini Motor Transport, one of the industry’s safest trucking fleets.
• Speedco and Love’s Truck Care, the largest oil change and preventive maintenance and total truck care network.
• Musket, a rapidly growing, Houston-based commodities supplier and trader.
• Trillium, a Houston-based alternative fuels expert.
• TVC Pro-driver, a commercial driver’s license (CDL) protection subscription service.