Job Description
We are looking for a data-driven and customer-obsessed Assistant Category Manager Gifts to lead the growth, profitability, and assortment strategy of our gifting portfolio. This role will own end-to-end category performance from sourcing, new launches, curation and pricing to promotions and inventory planning.
You will work cross-functionally with merchandising, marketing, supply chain, and performance teams to drive revenue, margin, and customer satisfaction.
Key Responsibilities:
Category Strategy & Growth
- Own P&L for the Gifts category.
- Define category roadmap aligned with seasonal and occasion-based demand (Valentine's Day, Diwali, Christmas, Mother's Day, etc.).
- Identify white spaces and new product opportunities through data and trend analysis.
- Drive revenue, margin, AOV, and conversion rate growth.
- Monitor and analyze sales performance, customer trends, and competitor activities to optimize category performance
Assortment Planning & Merchandising
- Curate and optimize product assortment (bundles, personalization, premium gifting, etc.).
- Develop and maintain a compelling product assortment that aligns with customer preferences and market trends.
- Manage product lifecycle from ideation to launch and phase-out.
- Ensure strong online merchandising: collections, filters, product positioning.
New Product Launches:
- Lead the planning and execution of new product launches within the category, ensuring product visibility and engagement.
- Collaborate with the marketing team to develop promotional strategies and campaigns for new products.
- Track the performance of new launches, making necessary adjustments based on data insights.
Pricing & Promotions
- Develop pricing strategy based on competition and demand elasticity.
- Plan seasonal campaigns and promotional calendars and events.
- Collaborate with performance marketing for demand forecasting and offer structuring.
Performance Analysis and Reporting:
- Regularly monitor category KPIs such as sales, margins, stock levels, and customer engagement metrics.
- Prepare weekly and monthly performance reports, highlighting key insights, trends, and actionable recommendations.
- Use data analytics to make informed decisions on product curation, pricing, and marketing strategies.
Inventory Management and Liquidation:
- Oversee inventory levels to ensure optimal stock availability while minimizing excess inventory.
- Develop strategies to manage slow-moving and obsolete stock, including clearance sales, discounting, or repurposing.
- Ensure efficient liquidation of old inventory to avoid obsolescence and maximize revenue.
- Demand planning and forecasting for peak seasons.
- Optimize stock turn and minimize dead inventory.
Vendor and Supplier Relationship Management:
- Build and maintain strong relationships with vendors and suppliers to negotiate better terms, product availability, and timely deliveries.
- Conduct regular vendor performance reviews to ensure consistent product quality and service levels.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Work closely with marketing, visual merchandising (VM), upload, and content teams to ensure seamless execution of category plans.
- Provide input to the marketing team for creating promotional campaigns that drive traffic and conversions.
- Collaborate with the upload team to ensure accurate and timely product uploads with correct descriptions and imagery.
Market Research and Trend Analysis:
- Stay updated on industry trends, competitor strategies, and consumer behaviour to maintain a competitive edge in the market.
- Conduct regular market research to identify new opportunities for category growth and expansion.
Key Requirements
- 36+ years of experience in category management, ecommerce merchandising, or buying.
- Experience in ecommerce (preferred).
- Strong analytical skills with comfort in Excel/Sheets & data dashboards.
- Experience in gifting, lifestyle, FMCG, or consumer brands is a plus.
- Strong understanding of seasonal retail cycles.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills.
Key KPIs
- Revenue & Gross Margin
- Inventory Turnover
- Sell-through %
- AOV & Conversion Rate
- Stock-out Rate
- New Product Success Rate
- Availability fill rate
