Category Manager - Automotive

Fleet Farm Careers•Appleton, WI

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Drive the future of automotive retail: Are you a strategic, data-driven merchant with a passion for the automotive industry? Join a fast-growing, customer-focused retailer that blends tradition with innovation. We’re seeking a Category Manager – Automotive Parts & Accessories to take ownership of high-performing product categories, shaping everything from assortment strategy to pricing, vendor negotiations, and merchandising. As a Category Manager, you'll be the engine behind our category growth — using data and market trends to build competitive, customer-centric assortments that maximize sales and profitability across our stores and online platforms.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
3–5+ years in retail merchandising, category management, or product management — ideally in automotive or hardlines retail
Strong understanding of retail P&L concepts (revenue, margin, turnover, etc.)
Experience negotiating supplier contracts and managing vendor relationships
Excellent analytical skills — comfortable working with Excel, data dashboards, and category performance reports
Familiarity with planogramming, promotional planning, and eCommerce retail strategy
Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment

Responsibilities

Own Category Strategy: Develop and execute long-term category plans that drive revenue, margin, and market share across automotive parts, accessories, and tools.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Analyze customer behavior, market trends, and category performance to make informed recommendations on pricing, promotions, and assortment.
Assortment & Merchandising: Build compelling product assortments across private label and national brands. Partner with visual merchandising and planogram teams to bring strategies to life in-store and online.
Vendor Management: Negotiate contracts and maintain strong supplier relationships to secure competitive costs, reliable inventory, and exclusive offerings.
Forecasting & Inventory Optimization: Collaborate with inventory planning to ensure accurate demand forecasting and timely product availability, especially for seasonal and promotional cycles.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Work across merchandising, marketing, supply chain, and store operations teams to deliver seamless category execution and performance.
Customer Focus: Stay attuned to consumer preferences and industry trends to ensure we’re delivering what automotive enthusiasts and DIYers want most.