Category Manager F&V Quick commerce

This role is for one of the Weekday's clients

Min Experience: 4+ years

Location: Bengaluru

JobType: full-time

We are seeking a Category Manager – Fruits & Vegetables (Quick Commerce) to take full ownership of the end-to-end performance of the F&V category within our quick commerce business.

This position demands a strong operator-builder mindset. You will serve as the Business Owner for F&V, overseeing assortment, sourcing, pricing, availability, waste management, vendor relations, promotions, and overall P&L performance. Collaborating closely with sourcing, supply chain, dark store operations, merchandising, technology, and marketing teams, you will develop a high-performing and scalable F&V business that consistently delivers freshness, availability, and earns customer trust.

Your Responsibilities

Category Ownership & Growth

• Take full ownership of the P&L for the Fruits & Vegetables category within Quick Commerce.
• Develop and implement strategies to grow the category across fresh produce.
• Create category plans aimed at enhancing revenue, margins, and encouraging repeat customer purchases.
• Expand the category in alignment with customer demand, regional preferences, and seasonal variations.

Assortment & Merchandising

• Develop and continuously refine the assortment covering fruits, vegetables, herbs, and staples.
• Ensure assortments are hyperlocal and relevant based on specific city and store clusters.
• Consistently enhance SKU productivity and optimize the category mix.
• Lead merchandising efforts and improve product visibility on the app and storefront to boost conversion rates.

Sourcing & Vendor Management

• Identify, onboard, and manage relationships with farmers, aggregators, mandis, and supply partners.
• Negotiate commercial terms, procurement models, and service-level agreements effectively.
• Build strong partnerships with suppliers to enhance cost efficiency, quality, and reliability.
• Develop alternative sourcing strategies to ensure continuous supply.

Pricing & Monetization

• Lead the pricing strategy to maintain a balance between competitiveness, customer value, and profitability.
• Manage dynamic pricing based on mandi trends, seasonal factors, and demand fluctuations.
• Plan and execute promotions, bundle offers, and campaigns.
• Identify additional monetization opportunities through programs funded by suppliers.

Inventory, Availability & Waste Management

• Maintain high fill rates and ensure best-in-class product availability in dark stores.
• Collaborate with planning and operations teams to optimize inventory turnover.
• Reduce waste, shrinkage, and dead stock through improved forecasting and replenishment processes.
• Enhance freshness metrics and minimize stock-outs.

Operations & Quick Commerce Excellence

• Collaborate with dark store and supply teams to guarantee flawless daily operations.
• Develop standard operating procedures for receiving, grading, storage, and handling of fresh produce.
• Drive operational efficiencies throughout the procurement-to-customer delivery process.
• Support the launch of new cities and stores and prepare for scaling.

Data & Performance Tracking

• Monitor essential KPIs such as revenue, margin, fill rate, stock-outs, inventory turnover, waste percentage, freshness scores, and vendor performance.
• Utilize data to uncover growth opportunities and implement corrective measures.
• Create scalable, repeatable category playbooks for sustained growth.

Desired Qualifications

• 4 to 8 years of experience in Category Management, Buying, or Sourcing within Fruits & Vegetables, Fresh, Grocery, or Quick Commerce sectors.
• Solid understanding of fresh supply chains, mandi dynamics, and perishables management.
• Proven experience in end-to-end category ownership including full P&L responsibility.
• Strong skills in vendor management and negotiation.
• In-depth knowledge of forecasting, inventory planning, and waste control.
• Analytical thinker with strong operational discipline.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Previous experience with Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart, BigBasket, or similar platforms is highly desirable.

Essential Skills

Category Management

Preferred Skills

Quick Commerce, Retail Category Management