Paige Morgan
Round Rock,TX
Summary
Dynamic Senior Category Merchant with 19 years of Whole Foods Market expertise in product placement, pricing strategy and promotional data analysis. Proven communicator and relationship builder, driving collaborative success and brand awareness across channels.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
2
2
Professional Certifications
3
3
Cross Functional Product / Process Launches
50
50
+ CPG Product Launches
Work History
Senior Category Merchant
Whole Foods Market Inc
Austin, TX
09.2024 - 12.2025
- Organized promotional events to increase store traffic and promote new products, including multiple category sale events generating ~ $9M in sales from three events.
- Enhanced customer engagement by implementing store level feedback system for third party merchandising program, leading to service improvements and a +62% increase in satisfaction rates, to get to a 95% customer satisfaction in just 6 months.
- Conducted market research to identify trends, and to drive development of exclusive products for Whole Foods Market in partnership with three leading Reusable Water Bottle Brands, Owala, Hydro Flask and BruMate. Includes the launch of the Micro Hydro Water bottle with Hydro Flask and the new ceramic coated Smooth Sip Slider from Owala.
- Analyzed sales data to identify underperforming products, making strategic decisions on assortment based on both internal and external insights.
- Developed merchandising strategies that improved visibility of key products.
- Developed strong relationships with vendors to secure exclusive merchandise, enhancing store uniqueness.
- Adapted quickly to changing market conditions, maintaining competitive pricing and product offerings through strategic cost savings agreements (~$300K annually) with Supplier partners
Senior Project Manager
Whole Foods Market Inc
Austin, TX
05.2021 - 09.2024
- Developed comprehensive project plans to optimize resource allocation and timelines.
- Launched the first national source of truth for Item, Cost, and Retail for Whole Foods Market National.
- Reduced Contractor labor by 50% via the Promo Optimization Process (POP).
- Launched the Enterprise Promotion Management (EPM) Application for Center Store Promotions, decreasing manual, error prone processes, and improving the quality of WFM promo meta data.
- Cultivated strong relationships with external partners, ensuring effective collaboration on joint projects and initiatives.
- Increased customer satisfaction rates by implementing robust feedback mechanisms and incorporating client input into future program planning efforts.
- Tracked and reported program results to customers and stakeholders to facilitate change management activities.
- Expedited Ad Fee Requirements and entitlements to unlock 23M additional promo revenue in 2024 with additional monetized product placements and marketing tactics for programming.
- Developed & Launched Unified Promotion Planners (UPP) for Perishable Teams; improving Merchant visibility into the impacts of their plans with financial summaries and streamlining updates to support consistent, accurate, profitable promotion planning and execution.
- Fostered culture of continuous improvement, encouraging team feedback and implementing best practices.
- Facilitated meetings between project stakeholders to discuss deliverables, schedules, and conflicts.
- Led cross-functional teams to facilitate collaborative efforts, resulting in successful launch of key initiatives.
- Delivered engaging presentations to stakeholders at all levels, effectively communicating complex information in a clear and concise manner.
Assistant Category Manager
Whole Foods Market Inc
Austin, TX
05.2016 - 05.2021
- Collaborated with category managers to develop and implement promotional strategies for product launches.
- Analyzed sales data to identify trends, optimizing inventory management across multiple departments.
- Assisted in vendor negotiations, ensuring competitive pricing and alignment with quality standards.
- Trained new team members on best practices for product assortment and category management tools.
- Mentored junior team members, fostering professional development and enhancing overall team performance.
- Provided regular reports and insights to senior management, effectively communicating category performance and recommending future course of action.
- Fostered positive work atmosphere by acting and communicating collaboratively with customers.
- Drove efficiency improvements in workflow processes, contributing to overall departmental performance enhancements.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - English Language And Literature
12-1995
Skills
- Pricing and Promotional Data, Tactics, and Strategy
- Product Launch Roadmap Planning and Coordination
- Win Win Win Results for Customers, Brands, and Retailers
- Channel Campaign Planning and Implementation
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Whole Foods Market Category Management Expertise
- Brand awareness
- Solutions focused
Certification
- Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Certified Professional Category Analyst (CPCA)
Timeline
Senior Category Merchant - Whole Foods Market Inc
09.2024 - 12.2025
Senior Project Manager - Whole Foods Market Inc
05.2021 - 09.2024
Assistant Category Manager - Whole Foods Market Inc
05.2016 - 05.2021
University of North Texas - Bachelor of Arts, English Language And Literature