Category Manager Staples

This role is for one of our clients Industry: Retail Seniority level: Associate level Min Experience: 3+ years Location: Bangalore JobType: full-time We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us. This role goes beyond procurement. You will act as the Business Owner for Staples—driving assortment strategy, vendor partnerships, pricing, monetization, availability, and P&L performance. You will work closely with sourcing, supply chain, marketing, and store operations teams to ensure the category delivers strong growth, margins, and customer value.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Category P&L Ownership
• Own revenue, margins, and profitability for staples
• Drive higher gross margins vs branded benchmarks
• Optimize mix between private label and branded SKUs
• Sourcing & Supply Chain Development
• Identify and onboard manufacturers, millers, and contract partners
• Negotiate cost structures, TOTs, and long-term supply agreements
• Build a reliable, cost-efficient sourcing network with consistent quality
• Product Development & Quality
• Define product specifications (quality, grading, packaging)
• Work with vendors to develop differentiated SKUs tailored for Bharat consumers
• Ensure strict quality control and consistency across batches
• Pricing & Value Leadership
• Design pricing strategies that deliver clear value vs branded alternatives
• Track commodity price movements and adjust pricing dynamically
• Balance margin expansion with price competitiveness
• Assortment & Merchandising Strategy
• Build a focused, high-velocity assortment for staples
• Drive in-store visibility for staples
• Design merchandising and bundling strategies to improve adoption
• Demand, Inventory & Scale
• Forecast demand and ensure high fill rates across stores
• Work with supply chain teams to maintain optimal inventory levels
• Scale successful SKUs across regions and formats
• Category Growth & Adoption
• Drive brand penetration within the staples category
• Work with marketing and ops teams on in-store and app-led interventions
• Track repeat purchase, customer feedback, and product performance
• Analytics & Performance Tracking
• Track key metrics: + Gross margin % + Staples share in category + Sell-through and inventory turns + Repeat purchase rates
• Identify underperforming SKUs and drive exit or improvement plan

What We Are Looking For

• 3 - 6 years in staples procurement, commodity trading, or category management
• Strong experience in oil, grains, spices, pulses, or similar staples categories
• Experience working with manufacturers / contract production
• Strong commercial and P&L mindset
• Deep understanding of commodity cycles and cost structures
• Ability to balance cost, quality, and consumer value
• Structured thinker with strong execution ability
• High ownership and bias for action Must-have skills Category Management, Staples Good-to-have skills Rice, Pulses, Edible Oil