Category Manager

**Category Manager - Fresh Foods (Focus on Deli)**

**Location**: Toronto, ON

**Job Type**: Full-Time

Are you a strategic buyer and food enthusiast with a knack for building strong vendor partnerships and curating high-performing assortments? Summerhill Market is seeking a **Category Manager - Fresh Foods** to join our growing team. While this role will have a strong focus on our **Deli department**, it also touches a broad range of fresh food categories and requires a skilled operator with deep experience in food buying, pricing strategy, and retail execution.

As a key member of our Category Management team, you’ll play a pivotal role in delivering an exceptional customer experience through the sourcing and selection of fresh, high-quality products. Your decisions will directly impact our sales, margins, customer satisfaction, and brand identity.

**Key Responsibilities**

**Category Ownership & Product Strategy**
- Own the full lifecycle of product selection for the **Deli and Fresh Foods categories**, including meats, cheeses, prepared foods, and complementary items.
- Curate a compelling product assortment that reflects quality, innovation, seasonality, and customer demand.
- Develop and execute pricing, promotional, and merchandising strategies to optimize category performance and profitability.

**Procurement & Vendor Management**
- Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers—from local artisans to national distributors.
- Negotiate pricing, terms, and promotional support to ensure competitive advantage and margin growth.
- Continually source **new and exciting fresh products** to differentiate our offering and meet emerging customer trends.

**Performance Analysis & Business Planning**
- Analyze sales reports, customer feedback, market trends, and margin data to identify growth opportunities and make informed business decisions.
- Regularly review assortment, pricing, and promotional effectiveness and adjust strategies as needed.
- Collaborate with the Finance team to track budgets, cost of goods, and category profitability.

**Cross-Functional Collaboration**
- Partner with Store Managers and Department Leads to ensure operational readiness, merchandising excellence, and execution of planograms and promotions.
- Liaise with Marketing to align promotional messaging and support product launches and seasonal campaigns.
- Support in-store teams with training and education on new products and category direction.

**What You Bring**
- **5+ years of experience** in Category Management, Buying, or Procurement within the grocery retail or food and beverage industry.
- Strong background in **fresh goods**, with experience buying perishable and prepared food items (Deli experience is a plus).
- Deep knowledge of **pricing strategy**, margin management, and promotional planning.
- Proven success in **vendor relationship management** and product sourcing.
- Excellent **business acumen**, analytical thinking, and decision-making skills.
- Strong interpersonal and communication abilities—able to influence and collaborate across teams.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience using ERP or retail management systems.
- A genuine **passion for food**, customer experience, and innovation in grocery retail.

**Why Join Summerhill Market?**

Summerhill Market is a Toronto institution—a family-owned business known for quality, freshness, and exceptional service. As Category Manager, you’ll have the opportunity to shape our product offering, introduce innovative foods, and work closely with a passionate, collaborative team.

**Perks of the Role**
- Weekly pay
- Employer-paid benefits for full-time employees
- Flexible schedule and dynamic team environment
- Great employee discount
- Easily accessible Toronto locations
- Complimentary branded work apparel

**Equity Statement**

At Summerhill Market, we are an equal opportunity employer that values and encourages diversity in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by local law. Should you require an accommodation at any point during the recruitment process, please let us know and we will be happy to accommodate.

This posting outlines the core responsibilities of the Category Manager role. Actual duties may vary depending on the needs of the department and organization.

**Job Types**: Full-time, Permanent

**Benefits**:

- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Store discount

Schedule:

- 8 hour shift
- Monday to Friday
- Weekends as needed

**Experience**:

- buying and category management: 5 years (preferred)
- grocery industry: 3 years (preferred)

**Location**:

- Toronto, ON M4W 2E4 (preferred)

Work Location: In person