Central Buyer – FMCG & Grocery
Key Responsibilities 1. Centralized Buying & Procurement Strategy
- Lead centralized buying operations for FMCG and Grocery categories across all A-Z Supermarkets & Hypermarkets.
- Develop and implement annual and quarterly category buying strategies.
- Plan procurement requirements based on sales trends, seasonal demand, promotions and expansion plans.
- Ensure standardization of product assortment across stores while considering local customer requirements.
- Develop category-wise purchase budgets and monitor adherence.
- Drive centralized procurement to improve buying power and commercial benefits.
2. Category Management
- Develop and manage category strategies for assigned FMCG and Grocery segments.
- Build the right product assortment based on customer demand, market trends and category performance.
- Identify high-performing products and growth opportunities.
- Introduce new brands, products and innovative SKUs.
- Regularly review and rationalize low-performing and duplicate SKUs.
- Improve category productivity and shelf profitability.
- Ensure the right mix of national brands, regional brands and value products.
3. Vendor & Supplier Management
- Develop and maintain strategic relationships with FMCG manufacturers, distributors and suppliers.
- Identify and onboard new suppliers and brands.
- Lead high-value commercial negotiations with key vendors.
- Negotiate:
- Purchase prices
- Trade margins
- Schemes and discounts
- Credit periods
- Promotional support
- Listing fees
- Marketing contributions
- Display and visibility support
- Annual commercial agreements
- Conduct periodic vendor performance reviews.
- Develop alternate sourcing options to reduce dependency and improve commercial competitiveness.
4. Commercial Negotiations & Margin Improvement
- Drive continuous improvement in category gross margins.
- Negotiate competitive purchase costs and improved commercial terms.
- Analyse category profitability and take corrective actions.
- Work closely with Finance and Operations to improve overall commercial performance.
- Monitor vendor schemes and ensure all eligible benefits are received.
- Track purchase price fluctuations and recommend appropriate action.
- Identify opportunities for cost savings and improved margins.
5. Pricing & Market Competitiveness
- Monitor competitor pricing and market trends.
- Develop category-wise pricing recommendations in coordination with management.
- Ensure A-Z maintains competitive pricing on key value items.
- Analyse market price movements and vendor cost changes.
- Support promotional pricing strategies.
- Identify Key Value Items (KVIs) requiring aggressive market positioning.
6. Inventory Planning & Stock Management
- Monitor inventory levels across all stores.
- Ensure optimum stock availability without excessive inventory holding.
- Prevent stock-outs of fast-moving and essential products.
- Monitor inventory turnover and stock cover.
- Analyse:
- Slow-moving stock
- Non-moving stock
- Ageing inventory
- Excess stock
- Dead stock
- Develop corrective action plans for inventory liquidation and stock rationalization.
- Coordinate with warehouse and store operations for effective replenishment planning.
7. Demand Forecasting & Seasonal Planning
- Develop demand forecasts based on historical sales and market trends.
- Plan advance purchases for festivals and peak seasons including:
- Onam
- Ramadan
- Eid
- Vishu
- Christmas
- New Year
- School reopening
- Ensure adequate stock availability during promotional campaigns.
- Coordinate with suppliers for advance booking and supply commitments.
8. Promotions & Trade Marketing Support
- Work with Marketing and Operations teams to develop category promotions.
- Negotiate promotional funding and special schemes from suppliers.
- Plan vendor-supported promotional activities.
- Monitor promotion performance and ROI.
- Develop seasonal category activation plans.
- Ensure promotional stock availability across all locations.
9. Multi-Store Coordination
- Coordinate centralized buying requirements across all A-Z locations.
- Work closely with:
- Store Managers
- Operations Team
- Warehouse Team
- Finance Department
- Marketing Team
- Category Buyers
- Conduct regular store visits to understand market requirements and category performance.
- Address store-level stock and assortment challenges.
- Support new store openings with assortment and initial inventory planning.
10. Team Leadership
- Lead and mentor Category Buyers and Purchase Executives.
- Allocate categories and responsibilities within the buying team.
- Establish clear buying processes and SOPs.
- Review team performance regularly.
- Develop succession and capability within the purchase department.
- Ensure timely and accurate execution of purchase activities.
11. MIS & Business Analysis
Prepare and review regular reports on:
- Category-wise Sales
- Purchase Value
- Gross Margin %
- Gross Profit
- Stock Turnover
- Stock Cover
- Inventory Ageing
- Slow-Moving Stock
- Dead Stock
- Vendor Performance
- Purchase Price Variance
- Scheme Benefits
- Promotional Performance
- Category Growth
Present periodic business reviews and strategic recommendations to management.
Candidate Profile Experience
- Minimum 12+ years of experience in Retail Buying, FMCG Procurement or Category Management.
- Strong experience in Supermarkets, Hypermarkets, Modern Trade or Organized Retail is mandatory/preferred.
- Proven experience in handling centralized buying for multiple stores.
- Experience managing large SKU volumes across FMCG and Grocery categories.
- Exposure to high-volume commercial negotiations with leading FMCG brands and distributors.
Educational Qualification
- Bachelor's Degree in Commerce, Business Administration, Retail Management or related field.
- MBA in Supply Chain / Retail / Marketing will be an added advantage.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
The performance of the Central Buyer will be evaluated based on:
Commercial KPIs
- Category Sales Growth
- Gross Margin Improvement
- Gross Profit Growth
- Purchase Cost Reduction
- Vendor Scheme Realization
- Commercial Income Growth
Inventory KPIs
- Stock Availability
- Stock-Out Reduction
- Inventory Turnover
- Stock Cover
- Slow-Moving Stock Reduction
- Dead Stock Reduction
Vendor KPIs
- Improved Credit Terms
- Improved Purchase Margins
- Supplier Performance
- On-Time Delivery
- Vendor Support & Promotional Funding
Strategic KPIs
- New Product Introductions
- Category Growth
- Competitive Pricing
- Successful Seasonal Planning
- Centralized Buying Efficiency
- Team Performance
Pay: ₹75,000.00 - ₹80,000.00 per month
Work Location: In person
