Retail Specialist - Bakery

Empire Marketing Strategies • Milwaukee, WI

7d

About The Position

Empire Marketing Strategies supports suppliers across Meat/Seafood, Deli/Bakery, Produce, and Grocery departments in Kroger stores. The Retail Specialist visits all stores in an assigned territory at the established call frequency and sells and delivers best-in-class in-store merchandising. The role includes building displays, packing out and replenishing products, maintaining permanent secondary displays, and ensuring the salability of authorized items.

The position maintains product distribution, freshness, shelf standards, and pricing; reviews and reports sales and competitive information; and executes promotional displays and point-of-sale materials in accordance with retailer and client requirements. The Retail Specialist also builds relationships with store personnel, provides product preparation and display training, maintains territory records and company equipment, communicates promptly, participates in company meetings, and manages expenses within guidelines.

Work is typically performed in retail grocery stores, including refrigerated or freezer areas, and may also take place in customer warehouses, kitchens, and manufacturer-client facilities. Regular travel between worksites is required, with additional travel that may include overnight stays. The role follows a Monday–Friday schedule, with overnight work required for bakery resets.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Current driver's license and a clean Motor Vehicle Report.
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle and travel regularly between worksites.
• Ability to write clear, concise correspondence and accurately exchange information.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Ability to work autonomously and demonstrate a strong personal drive for results.
• Ability to present information effectively in one-on-one or group situations.
• Ability to read and comprehend simple to sometimes complex instructions, correspondence, and memos.
• Ability to solve practical problems and handle situations with limited standardization.
• Ability to interpret written, oral, diagram, or schedule-based instructions.
• Ability to perform arithmetic using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to stand for prolonged periods, approximately 80% of the time, and regularly change among sitting, squatting, standing, and kneeling.
• Ability to regularly lift and move 25–35 pounds and occasionally lift and move 40–60 pounds.
• Regular use of hands to handle objects, tools, or controls, and ability to reach with hands and arms.
• Vision sufficient for close work and viewing computer screens or written information from 20–40 feet.

Nice To Haves

• 1–2 years of experience related to the CPG, grocery, or retail industry.

Responsibilities

• Rotate perishable merchandise as required by manufacturers and perform freshness checks where required.
• Check store shelf tags, support product reordering, and maintain retail objectives and shelf standards in the assigned territory.
• Keep product sections aligned with customer schematics or stocking plans.
• Maintain distribution of manufacturer-client products authorized by Kroger or its Planogram team.
• Service principal accounts to ensure authorized items are on shelves and properly priced and tagged.
• Maintain territorial records and review sales reports to track progress toward assigned goals.
• Monitor competitors and report relevant information through appropriate channels.
• Submit complete and timely reports using required forms and reporting tools, including PowerBI or Go Spot Check.
• Set up manufacturer or client promotional displays in accordance with retailer rules and display objectives.
• Coordinate promotional program execution with Operations, including reporting and future order requirements.
• Deliver point-of-sale materials and Instant Redeemable Coupons to stores as required and approved.
• Establish and maintain rapport with store personnel in the assigned territory.
• Demonstrate proper product preparation and display to customer employees.
• Communicate promptly by email and telephone, maintain territory files and company-owned office equipment, attend scheduled company meetings, and manage expenses within guidelines.
• Perform other duties as required.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, and disability coverage, with 80% of benefits costs covered by the employer.
• Retirement program.
• Mental health support.
• Paid time off.
• Nine paid holidays annually.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: High school or GED