Thomas Cary
Boca Raton,FL
Summary
Over 15 years of combined experience and success as a E Commerce Category Manager, Merchandising Manager, Director of Category Planning delivering key projects, profitability and sales.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Merchandising & AutoShip Manager
Allivet.com
04.2021 - Current
- Responsible for all products on Allivet.com including price, content & product pages
- Analyzed sales data to identify trends and adjust merchandising plans accordingly, driving optimal results.
- Increased sales revenue by developing and implementing effective merchandising strategies.
- Responsible for the online merchandising for third party marketplace on Walmart.com,Tractor Supply.com & Giant Eagle
- Worked with cross functional teams (IT) to develop A/B testing on site
- Provided forecast on all new items to purchasing department to ensure healthy inventory levels
- Facilitated successful cross-functional collaborations for the completion of key projects, fostering strong working relationships among team members.
- Increased AutoShip opt in rate by 20% for new & existing customers
- Negotiated pricing with vendors to achieve maximum profitability.
- Increased overall margin % by 3% YOY
Category Manager Kroger Digital Merchandising
Kroger Co
07.2018 - 04.2021
- Responsible for forecasting and achieving weekly and period category sales goals, profit dollars, growth objectives
- Negotiate with Vendors for Marketing and Promotional Funding
- Serve as company Subject Matter Expert (SME) for VHMS, Food, Beauty & Home categories, staying abreast of commodity and brand performance trends and competitors
- Manage assortment (vendor point of contact for item setup & maintenance), determine pricing strategy, and lead site experience for the categories
- Responsible for 40k+ sku assortment
- Execute and support development of marketing strategy
- Manage supplier and vendor relationships
- Over 5M in Vendor funding secured in 2020
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop promotional campaigns that effectively increased category awareness and sales growth.
- Increased overall category sales by developing and executing strategic merchandising plans.
- Analyzed sales performance and adjusted marketing strategies to optimize revenue generation.
- Led cross-functional project teams in the launch of new product lines, resulting in successful category expansion efforts.
Associate Category Manager Food, Beverages & Natural Home
Vitacost.com Inc.
07.2017 - 07.2018
- Launched New Category For Natural Home
- Responsible for 14K+ sku assortment
- Vendor negotiations for marketing, promotions & vendor funding
- Responsible for site merchandising of the Food & Natural Home Categories
- Drove sales growth by identifying emerging market trends and adjusting product assortments accordingly.
- Implemented pricing strategies to maximize profitability while maintaining competitiveness in the marketplace.
- Analyzed SKU-level performance on an ongoing basis to inform assortment optimization decisions based on sales velocity, margin contribution, and consumer feedback data points.
Assistant Category Manager Food & Beverages
Vitacost.com Inc.
01.2015 - 07.2017
- Setup of monthly marketing promotions for top food vendors
- Developed strong relationships with vendors, leading to better product availability and improved negotiation power.
- Website banner creation for site merchandising & promotions
- Conducted regular competitor analysis to stay ahead of industry trends and maintain market share.
- Identified underperforming products and implemented strategies to improve their performance or transition them from assortment.
- Optimized product assortment by regularly reviewing sales performance and making data-driven decisions on SKU additions or discontinuations.
- Provided regular reports and insights to senior management, effectively communicating category performance and recommending future course of action.
Sourcing Manager Food & Beverages
Vitacost.com Inc.
08.2012 - 12.2015
- Sourcing new products for Food & Home categories (100+ new SKUs weekly)
- Purchasing of new SKUs including initial orders
- Lifecycle of new SKUs including site merchandising & marketing
- Responsible for item setup including pricing of SKUs
- Established long-term supplier relationships, fostering trust and collaboration for continuous improvement.
- Led contract negotiations to secure favorable terms and conditions, reducing overall expenses.
VMI Director Of Category Planning & Field Services
Alliance Entertainment LLC
05.2005 - 06.2011
- Oversaw assortments, product allocations and replenishment
- Analyzed sales, turns by category and margins
- Responsible for on-hands and inventory reconciliation for all accounts
- Provided training, leadership and direction to staff, stores and service
- Created memos, planograms and merchandising instructions for field merchandiser's to increase compliance
- Managed budgets effectively to ensure optimal use of resources while maintaining financial stability.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Communications
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, CT1993
Skills
- Digital Marketing
- AutoShip Management
- Merchandising
- E Commerce
- Category Management
- Sourcing
- Vendor Negotiation
- Pricing Strategy
- Product Lifecycle Management
- Cross-Functional Teamwork
Timeline
Senior Merchandising & AutoShip Manager
Allivet.com
04.2021 - Current
Category Manager Kroger Digital Merchandising
Kroger Co
07.2018 - 04.2021
Associate Category Manager Food, Beverages & Natural Home
Vitacost.com Inc.
07.2017 - 07.2018
Assistant Category Manager Food & Beverages
Vitacost.com Inc.
01.2015 - 07.2017
Sourcing Manager Food & Beverages
Vitacost.com Inc.
08.2012 - 12.2015
VMI Director Of Category Planning & Field Services
Alliance Entertainment LLC
05.2005 - 06.2011
Bachelor of Science - Communications
Southern Connecticut State University
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