Director of Center Store Merchandising

SUMMARY

The Director of Center Store Merchandising is responsible for ensuring that all Center Store merchandising strategies, programs, and plans developed by Northeast Shared Services (NSS) support the business needs, brand standards, and financial objectives of the two operating companies supported by NSS—Tops Markets and Market 32/Price Chopper.

This role is instrumental in driving sales, unit growth, margin improvement, and overall company profitability. The Director leads Category Business Managers and ensures merchandising strategies are effectively executed to deliver strong financial results and best-in-class customer experiences across both retail divisions.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Merchandising Leadership

• Serve as the primary leader responsible for Center Store merchandising support across both retail divisions, ensuring NSS plans align with division-specific strategies.

• Review and provide direction on all merchandising programs before rollout to ensure they align with each division’s standards, business needs, and execution capabilities.

• Ensure programs are designed to deliver sales, unit movement, margin targets, and profitability goals.

• Identify market trends and emerging merchandising concepts and work with Shared Services teams to evaluate and adopt them where beneficial.

• Conduct competitive reviews of pricing, ads, merchandising, and store conditions to inform continuous improvement and innovation.

Execution Excellence

• Ensure consistent execution of Center Store merchandising programs, standards, and procedures across both retail divisions.

• Partner with Operations to ensure program execution meets expectations and quickly address performance gaps.

• Support new store openings, remodels, and major resets by reviewing layouts, fixture plans, and adjacency flows for Center Store categories.

• Ensure category strategies translate accurately and efficiently into store-level execution.

Leadership of Category Business Managers

• Lead, mentor, and develop Category Business Managers.

• Ensure CBMs are aligned with division-specific strategies and financial objectives.

• Oversee CBMs in performing category analytics, vendor negotiations, assortment and pricing strategies, and promotional planning.

• Review and prioritize schedules, category plans, and deliverables to ensure timeliness and execution quality.

• Conduct regular performance and business reviews to optimize category growth and profitability.

Financial Accountability

•Maintain oversight of Center Store financial performance across the two retail divisions, including:

o Sales, Unit growth, Margin, Shrink, Operational labor and efficiency

• Partner with Finance, Merchandising, and Shared Services teams to ensure plans align with budgets and operational capabilities.

• Lead the development of corrective action plans when performance falls short of expectations.

Trade & Broker Partner Relationships

• Build and maintain strong relationships with trade partners, manufacturers, and broker organizations.

• Collaborate with partners to secure incremental promotional funding, drive cost efficiencies, and support innovation.

• Align trade investment with key category strategies to improve market share performance, promotional effectiveness, and customer value.

• Lead strategic business reviews with partners to identify opportunities for growth, improve execution, and elevate customer experience.

• Ensure that trade partner strategies support the needs of both supported retail divisions.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Collaborate with Operations on store execution disciplines including safety, sanitation, shrink, ordering, inventory, and labor models.

• Manage relationships with local DSD suppliers to ensure service expectations, in-stock performance, and business alignment.

• Communicate program success, opportunities, and execution gaps to Merchants, Operations leaders, and Shared Services teams.

Talent Development

• Identify high-potential talent and support succession planning across the merchandising organization.

• Partner with HR and field leadership to address performance concerns, coaching needs, and training gaps.

• Support the professional growth of Category Business Managers and evaluate readiness for expanded responsibility.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong performance reviews.
• Bachelor’s degree
• Valid driver’s license.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Minimum 2 years of successful retail management or category management experience.
• Ability to work effectively in a shared services structure supporting multiple retail divisions.

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS

• 5 years of retail leadership or merchandising experience.
• Strong understanding of supermarket operations, labor models, financial levers, and category economics.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred.