Lars B. Gaddy
Director of Merchandising and Buying
Kansas City, MO · (816) 555 0143 · name@example.com · linkedin.com/in/larsbgaddy
Key Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
Twenty two years in grocery merchandising, seven as a director
INDUSTRIES
Regional supermarkets, wholesale distribution, private label manufacturing
SPECIALTIES
Assortment planning, private label development, vendor negotiation, promotional calendar, gross margin return on investment
SYSTEMS
Oracle Retail Merchandising, Blue Yonder category management, Circana market data, Power BI
CREDENTIALS
Certified Professional in Supply Management, Institute for Supply Management
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration, University of Missouri, Kansas City; Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics, Kansas State University
Results at a Glance
9%
Percent of center
3.8%
Pushed the weekly
12%
Lowered advertising cost
2%
Plan for eleven
Executive Summary
Merchandising director for a twenty six store regional grocery chain, owning 410 million dollars in annual retail across center store, frozen and private label. Twenty two years in grocery buying, seven at director level. Leads a team of six category managers and sets the open to buy, promotional calendar and private label roadmap.
Signature Achievements
- Grew gross margin return on investment on center store from 2.4 to 3.1 over three years by cutting 4,200 slow items and reinvesting the space in faster turning sets.
- Built a private label program from 9 percent to 21 percent of center store sales, worth about 34 million dollars at retail and four margin points above the national brands it replaced.
- Negotiated a three year distribution agreement that took landed cost down 3.8 percent and pushed the weekly delivery window earlier so stores could receive before the morning rush.
- Rebuilt the promotional calendar around eight rather than thirteen periods, which lifted sell through on advertised items 12 percent and lowered advertising cost per unit.
- Held the open to buy inside 2 percent of plan for eleven consecutive quarters while inflation moved cost weekly.
- Recovered 6.2 million dollars in unearned vendor allowances by rebuilding the deal tracking process with finance and audit.
Professional Experience
Director of Merchandising and Buying
Prairiefield Food Stores, Kansas City, MO 2019 to present
Center store, frozen, dairy and private label for twenty six stores, 410 million dollars in annual retail, six category managers reporting.
- Set the annual open to buy by category and review it against sell through and weeks of supply every four week period.
- Lead quarterly business reviews with the top thirty vendors, covering cost, promotion, space and the funding tied to performance.
- Own the private label roadmap end to end, from supplier qualification and packaging through to the shelf reset.
- Chair the pricing committee that sets everyday price zones and the markdown cadence for seasonal and closeout inventory.
- Develop the category management team and run their annual category reviews with store operations in the room.
Category Manager, Center Store
Cottonwood Grocery Group, Wichita, KS 2012 to 2019
Nine categories worth 88 million dollars in retail across a twelve store chain.
- Raised category gross margin 210 basis points through assortment cuts and a rebuilt promotional plan.
- Introduced shelf resets twice a year on a published planogram calendar rather than once every two years.
- Managed vendor trade funds and reconciled them to actual performance each quarter.
Buyer
Missouri Valley Wholesale Foods, Saint Joseph, MO 2004 to 2012
Dry grocery and beverage buying for a wholesaler serving 140 independent retailers.
- Placed forward buys against cost increases and managed inventory turns on 3,000 items.
- Built the ad buying process the wholesaler still uses for its retail members.
Licensure and Certification
Certified Professional in Supply Management, Institute for Supply Management
Member, Food Marketing Institute
Education
Master of Business Administration, University of Missouri, Kansas City
Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics, Kansas State University
Core Skills
Open to buy planning · Gross margin return on investment · Private label development · Vendor negotiation · Assortment planning · Promotional calendar · Trade fund management · Category resets · Team leadership · Circana market data