Associate Category Manager - Apparel

Fleet Farm Careers • Appleton, WI

2d

About The Position

Fleet Farm is looking for a driven and detail-oriented Associate Category Manager to join our Merchandising team. In this role, you will partner with Category Managers to select and purchase merchandise across assigned categories, ensuring competitive costs, strong vendor partnerships, and effective merchandising strategies that meet customer and store needs. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with a passion for retail, data-driven decision-making, and category growth.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• 1–3 years of related experience (retail or merchandising experience preferred).
• Strong knowledge of retail financials including revenue, COGS, gross profit margin, and operating expenses.
• Familiarity with customer-centric retailing and consumer purchase analytics.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Responsibilities

• Drive Category Strategy: Partner with Category Managers to develop and execute merchandising, promotional, pricing, and distribution strategies.
• Support Merchandise Buying: Assist with merchandise and service purchasing, vendor negotiations, and contracts to achieve the best value.
• Manage Category Planning: Support sales, gross profit, inventory, and turnover forecasting to optimize category performance.
• Analyze Performance: Review category data, market trends, competitive insights, and customer behavior to identify opportunities and make recommendations.
• Optimize Inventory: Partner with Inventory Management to maintain appropriate stock levels and support promotional and daily operational needs.
• Leverage Private Brands: Build expertise in Fleet Farm private brands and support assortment, forecasting, pricing, and promotional planning.
• Stay Current & Collaborate: Maintain strong product and industry knowledge while partnering with Store Operations, Planogramming, and other teams to drive data-informed decisions.

Benefits

• Exposure to cross-functional teams
• Career development opportunities
• Supportive, collaborative environment

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level