(CAN) Associate Merchant- Produce
City : Mississauga
Category : Regular/Permanent Merchandising
Industry : Retail
Employer : Walmart Canada
Position Summary...
The Associate Merchant designs, develops, and executes strategies for specific categories, collaborating with cross-functional teams to achieve profit and loss objectives and deliver products that meet customer needs.What you'll do...
The Associate Merchant manages merchandise profit and loss, overseeing category financial results through short-term and long-term planning. This includes proactive and reactive management to meet forecasts, sales, markdowns, coop collection, market share growth, gross profit, inventory targets, and pricing. The role involves communicating and reporting results to cross-functional partners and reviewing post-buy financial analysis for discussion with relevant teams.
The position develops category strategies aligned with merchant frameworks and financial goals, utilizing multiple data sources for item-level assortment analysis and decision-making. Responsibilities include determining assortment needs, vendor and SKU optimization, price ladder development, and private label/brand strategy. The Associate Merchant may visit stores to develop category strategies and communicate these plans to leadership and cross-functional teams for execution.
Vendor management is a key responsibility, involving the initiation, negotiation, and management of vendor agreements. This includes overseeing costs, allowances, quality, and delivery terms to drive supplier performance. The Associate Merchant develops and maintains vendor relationships, domestically and internationally, and is accountable for marketing aspects of the category, including space planning and execution of promotional activities.
The role also involves managing new item and promotional forecasts, identifying item deletions, and developing exit strategies for inventory adjustments. The Associate Merchant leads line reviews, ensures store-ready modulars and seasonal sets are delivered on time, and conducts modular walkthroughs with senior management. Attending trade shows and buying trips to identify new vendors and enhance product categories is also part of the role, along with providing guidance to Category Team Analysts and Category Advisors.
Leadership Expectations:
Respect the Individual:
Demonstrates and encourages respect for others; drives a positive associate and customer experience for all; embraces differences in people, cultures, ideas, and experiences; supports workplaces where associated feel seen and connected through a culture of belonging, so all associates thrive and perform; contributes to an environment allowing everyone to bring their best selves to work.
Demonstrates engagement and commitment to the team, developing others through feedback, coaching, mentoring, and developmental opportunities; and recognizes others’ contributions and accomplishments.
Builds strong and trusting relationships with team members and business partners; works collaboratively to achieve objectives; communicates with impact and listens attentively to a range of audiences; and demonstrates energy and positivity for own work.
Qualifications:
College Certificate or Diploma
1 - 2 years of experience
Commodity Knowledge and Negotiation Skills are key
Omnichannel experience, as an asset
Retail experience required
Ecommerce or Omni Channel experience is an asset.
Financial Planning experience an asset.
Acts with Integrity:
Maintains and promotes the highest standards of integrity, ethics and compliance; models the Walmart values and leads by example to foster our culture; supports Walmart’s goal of becoming a regenerative company by making a positive impact for associates, customers, and the world around us (e.g., creating a sense of belonging, eliminating waste, participating in local giving).
Follows the law, our code of conduct and company policies, and encourages others to do the same; supports an environment where associates feel comfortable sharing concerns; reinforces our culture of non-retaliation; listens to concerns raised by associates and takes action; acts with accountability for achieving results in a way that is consistent with our values.
Is consistently humble, self-aware, honest, and transparent.
Serve our Customers:
Delivers results while putting the customer first and applying an omni-merchant mindset and acts with an Every Day Low Cost mindset to drive value and Every Day Low Prices for customers.
Adopts a broad perspective that considers data, analytics, customer insights, and different parts of the business when making plans.
Strive for Excellence:
Consistently raises the bar and seeks to improve; demonstrates curiosity and a growth mindset; seeks feedback, asks thoughtful questions; supports innovation and intelligent risk-taking; and exhibits resilience in the face of setbacks.
Implements and supports continuous improvements and willingly embraces new digital tools and ways of working.
Minimum Qualifications...
Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.
Age – 16 or olderPreferred Qualifications...
Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.
Walmart will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants and associates as required by law.
Primary Location…
1940 Argentia Rd, Mississauga, ON L5N 1P9, Canada