DIANNA TALECK

Strategic and creative retail and wholesale professional with over 36 years of procurement and merchandising experience, consistently advancing in leadership roles. Skilled in coaching and developing teams, successfully managing merchant and procurement departments in various industries including grocery, pharmacy, dollar, and hardware. Core focus on team category management and driving financial metrics such as sales, budgets, forecasting, inventory, revenue generation, margin management, retail pricing, and P&L accountability. Excels in category management development and leadership, team development, cross-functional collaboration, product assortment planning, private label management, contract negotiations and presentations, as well as purchasing management. Demonstrates excellent financial acumen and strong communication skills with a proven track record of delivering bottom-line results in margin management and revenue generation. Works closely with large retail group customers to coordinate advertising activities and ensure efficient inventory management at both the wholesale and retail levels.

• FMI Certificate
• Watershed Negotiations Certificate

• Developed and implemented strategic plans and planograms to drive sales and increase profitability on categories Brooms and Mops, Air Care, Household Supplies, Insecticides, Candles, Stationery, School and office, Toys, and Trial Size.
• Created seasonal promotional plans and executed strategies to maximize sales and margins.
• Negotiated and contracted with vendors to secure competitive pricing and exclusive product offerings.
• Managed a team of buyers for category growth, service level, and days on hand supply.
• Analyzed market trends, competitive landscape, and consumer behavior to identify opportunities for growth.
• Negotiated with vendors to secure favorable terms and ensure optimal product assortment.
• Category Management - HBC, General Merchandise, Pet, Candy, Seasonal Candy, Dollar products, Baby, Household Cleaners, Paper Products, Charcoal, DSD vendors.
• Developed category programs to drive sales and improve profitability of our member retailers in HBC, General Merchandise, Pet, Candy, Seasonal Candy, Seasonal General Merchandise, Dollar product, Baby, Household Cleaners, Paper Products, Charcoal, DSD vendors including all P&G, Kimberly Clark, Clorox/Kingsford Warehouse Programs.
• Served as Key Account Manager for center store category.
• Oversaw procurement buyers as direct reports. Initiated cross-dock dollar program.
• Managed Planograms GM, and HBC.
• Worked on project on inner pick vs each pick for all DC's that produced a savings for the COOP on labor hours, dramatically improved service level, optimized inventory control, reduced shrink, and minimized damaged.
• Director of the daily activities related to Drug, Dollar, Hardware, Grocery, Craft stores, and Wholesalers that represented over 5,000 stores.
• Worked one-on-one and managed the procurement relationship with wholesalers: C and S Wholesale, AG Miami, Food City, Piggly Wiggly Midwest, Piggly Wiggly South Carolina, United Hardware, Ace, Do it Best, Amerisource Bergen, Cardinal, H.D. Smith, Blanco and Aliadas in PR.
• P&L responsibilities include existing and new account sales, retail pricing, gross margin, warehouse inventory.
• Category Management - Household, Paper, Dollar Program, Pet, HBC, General Merchandise, Toys, Electronics, Non Frozen, Non Refrigerated Food & Snack, and Gift.
• Promoted to highly ability to negotiate and close deals.
• Coordinated the monthly advertising custom vehicle circulars and coupon books for all stores Grocery, Pharmacy, Hardware and Dollar stores.
• Coordinated in house trade shows 6 times a year and attended 26 Trade Shows a year from all major Wholesalers.
• Involved in the daily activities with accounts payable, receivables, in and out bound shipment, common carriers.