General Summary:

The Visual Merchandising Specialist is responsible for developing planograms for select product categories using space planning software. This position will ensure sales and margin performances of planograms are optimized through knowledge of product assortment and effective visual display standards that influence consumer purchasing behaviors and enhance the shopping experience.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities:

• Partner with the Merchandising group to develop the category shelf strategy and execute that plan across all main and alternate versions of planograms.
• Utilize space productivity metrics and principals to maximize SKU and assortment mix, space/shelf allocation, sales and profits.
• Review the version specific assortments by merchandise category to ensure capacity and profitability requirements are met and the assortments align with the category and company strategic vision
• Collaborate with Merchandising to ensure that all planograms are current and use correct data for size, shape and shelf space considerations. Secure samples and photograph products as needed.
• Create Core/Template Planograms which represent the visual presentation standards and product placement goals of merchandising, supports clustering strategies, and optimizes space/shelf productivity. Communicate goals & versioning for store specific challenges as required.
• Determine correct product facings to ensure planogram holding capacity so customer satisfaction and sales are optimized.
• Develop and incorporate merchandise presentation standards in the creation and maintenance of all planograms
• Perform analysis to identify best merchandising solutions, clustering, and product positioning and space management.
• Analyze competitor’s product display techniques and department layouts to benchmark best practices and bring new innovative display concepts and ideas to our company.
• Review and analyze marketing data to integrate supplier ideas to develop best in class planograms.
• Creatively merchandise product and identify sales opportunities in order to maximize sales.
• Attend cluster review and business rhythm meetings, becoming immersed in the subject matter, obtaining all relevant information needed to perform job duties.
• Monitor competitive and industry activities (including trends, fads, etc.) regarding merchandise presentation, in-store marketing, packaging and assortment
• Work closely with merchants, merchandising initiatives project managers, and store operations teams on the development of new concepts and store prototypes; collaborate on the development and design of fixtures, signing, security devices and other in store displays.
• Develop and manage Supplier Partner relationships.
• Educate store personnel through written communications and memos with regard to executing new sets.
• Proof and review planogram materials to ensure flawless execution to stores.
• Execute in-season planogram changes as a result of cut-ins.
• Respond to store operation questions in support of Family Dollar’s commitment to store-centric support.
• Other duties as assigned

Position Requirements:
Office work environment, 40+ work hours per week

Minimum Requirements:

Education: Four-year college degree or equivalent experience
Experience: 3-5 years of Retail experience; requires knowledge of visual merchandising guidelines and presentation standards; project
management experience preferred.
Job Related Skills: High energy, with ability to motivate and influence all levels of the organization; Ability to multi-task, work as a team
player and build cross functional relationships; excellent verbal and written communication skills; establish priorities and operate with
high sense of urgency.
Computer Skills: High proficiency in Microsoft Office (Access, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint); experience working with Space
Planning Software preferred (Intactix, Spaceman, Apollo)