About Us
Nature’s Emporium is a specialty grocery and destination wellness retailer dedicated to helping our customers Eat Well, Live Better. We offer a thoughtfully curated assortment of natural, organic, and wellness focused products, supported by knowledgeable teams and a strong commitment to quality, integrity, and community.
Position Overview
The Category Manager, Vitamins, Supplements & Minerals is responsible for the overall performance and strategic development of the Vitamins, Supplements & Minerals category across Nature’s Emporium.
This role combines strong product and industry knowledge with commercial and analytical expertise to develop an assortment that reflects Nature’s Emporium’s commitment to quality, innovation and customer needs while achieving sales, margin and inventory objectives.
The Category Manager will manage supplier relationships, product assortment, pricing, promotional planning and category performance while working closely with Operations, Marketing, Finance and other members of the Merchandising team. Success in this role will be demonstrated through sustainable category growth, a strong and relevant product assortment, achievement of margin objectives, effective vendor partnerships, disciplined inventory management and strong in-stock performance.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and execute the category strategy for Vitamins, Supplements & Minerals, including assortment, pricing, promotions and vendor strategy.
- Manage overall category performance, including sales, gross margin, purchases, inventory, waste and shrink.
- Regularly analyze category, subcategory and item-level performance to identify trends, opportunities and areas requiring corrective action.
- Build and maintain a relevant, differentiated and competitive product assortment that reflects customer needs, emerging trends and Nature’s Emporium's quality standards.
- Identify and evaluate new products, brands and category opportunities while maintaining an appropriate balance between innovation and productive assortment.
- Maintain strong knowledge of the vitamins, supplements and natural health products marketplace, including consumer trends, product innovation and competitive activity.
- Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships and act as the primary category contact for key vendor partners.
- Lead supplier negotiations related to product cost, promotional support, advertising, rebates and other commercial terms.
- Establish and manage annual vendor programs and rebate opportunities.
- Develop promotional plans in partnership with Marketing and suppliers to support sales, customer engagement and category growth.
- Monitor pricing and competitive positioning and make recommendations to maintain appropriate value and margin.
- Work closely with inventory and replenishment partners to maintain appropriate inventory levels, improve in-stock performance and minimize excess or aging inventory.
- Manage new item introductions, item maintenance, discontinuations, cost changes and promotional submissions.
- Review category performance and translate data into clear recommendations and action plans.
- Partner with store Operations and Customer Experience & Wellness teams to understand customer feedback, product demand and opportunities to improve category execution.
- Collaborate with Marketing on flyer activity, digital promotions, vendor programs, product launches and in-store initiatives.
- Support effective merchandising, product placement and category presentation across stores.
- Communicate category results, opportunities and recommendations clearly to the VP, Merchandising & Purchasing and senior leadership.
- Ensure category decisions support Nature’s Emporium's overall merchandising strategy, customer experience and financial objectives.
- Perform other related duties as required.
Qualifications & Experience
- 5+ years of progressive experience in category management, buying, merchandising or purchasing, preferably within grocery, natural health, wellness, pharmacy or specialty retail.
- Strong knowledge of vitamins, supplements, minerals and/or natural health products is strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience managing supplier relationships and negotiating pricing, promotional programs and commercial terms.
- Strong understanding of retail sales, gross margin, inventory management and category profitability.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze sales and category data and translate findings into practical business decisions.
- Strong understanding of assortment planning, pricing, promotions and product lifecycle management.
- Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship-management skills.
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Strong Excel and analytical skills; experience working with ERP, merchandising or inventory management systems is an asset.
- Collaborative approach with the ability to work effectively across Merchandising, Operations, Marketing and Finance.
- Genuine interest in natural health, wellness and the products that support Nature’s Emporium's customers.
Nature’s Emporium is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible workplace. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, abilities, and experiences. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process. If you require accommodation, please let us know, and we will work with you to meet your needs.
Starting Salary: $80,0000 plus bonus
