The Category Manager, Shop and Shops

We are seeking a strategic and commercially minded Category Manager to drive the performance of Party City at Staples. This role focuses on the analytical rigor of category management balancing assortment strategy, customer partnerships, inventory planning, and marketing execution to deliver profitable growth.

The ideal candidate will act as the general manager of the business, developing product assortments, identifying growth opportunities, creating go-to-market strategies, while partnering across sales, marketing, product development, and operations to build compelling customer solutions. This individual thrives in a fast-paced environment, uses data to drive decisions, and is passionate about understanding both customer and market trends.

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Business Ownership

• Develop and execute category growth strategies that drive sales, profitability, market share, and customer engagement.
• Own category go to market strategy, including internal and external presentations, assortment selection, and marketing.
• Analyze sales trends, customer insights, competitive activity, and market opportunities to identify growth initiatives.
• Build annual category plans and business cases to support strategic investments and new product opportunities.
• Analyze in store and ecomm performance, making recommended assortment and presentation adjustments.

Assortment Planning & Product Strategy

• Develop customer-centric assortments that align with market trends, customer needs, and company objectives.
• Identify assortment gaps and opportunities for innovation, expansion, and category differentiation.
• Lead product lifecycle management, including item introductions, rationalization, and seasonal planning.
• Partner with sales and product to curate meaningful customer exclusives.

Brand & Marketing Leadership

• Develop category positioning and value propositions that resonate with customers and support business goals.
• Partner with marketing teams to create integrated promotional calendars, product launches, and seasonal campaigns.
• Support content development for catalogs, websites, social media, email marketing, and sales materials.
• Leverage consumer insights and customer feedback to influence assortment decisions and marketing strategies.
• Ensure a consistent and compelling category presentation across all customer touchpoints.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate with sales, marketing, sourcing, operations, finance, and supply chain teams to execute category strategies.
• Lead customer presentations, line reviews, and business planning sessions.
• Present category performance, opportunities, and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Lead cross-functional projects from concept through execution.
• Work hand in hand with retail partners coordinating monthly HQ visits.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Merchandising, Supply Chain, or related field.
• 5 years of experience in category management, merchandising, brand management, sourcing, wholesale, retail, or consumer products.
• Strong analytical skills with experience interpreting sales, margin, inventory, and customer data.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute category growth strategies.
• Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and business intelligence tools.

Preferred

• Experience in wholesale distribution, consumer products, seasonal merchandise, gifting, party supplies, or related categories.
• Experience with e-commerce merchandising and digital marketing initiatives.
• Knowledge of inventory planning, demand forecasting, and assortment optimization.
• Experience presenting to retail customers and strategic business partners.

AD POPULUM OFFERS:

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Opportunities for professional growth and development
• Collaborative and supportive work environment

Ad Populum LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law.

ABOUT AD POPULUM

Ad Populum aligns corporate strategy and fosters growth across its unique portfolio of subsidiary companies. Its brands include NECA, Joseph Enterprises, Rubies, Enesco, Party City, Kidrobot, WizKids, ExKaliber, Graceland, Smiffys and Radical Share, spanning pop culture collectibles, costumes, gifts and home décor, tabletop gaming, e-commerce, entertainment and marketing.