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Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is a recognized leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings including gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, lollipops, and chocolate. The company has operations in more than 40 countries and distributes its world-famous brands in more than 180 countries. Three of these brands - Juicy Fruit®, Wrigley's Spearmint®, and Altoids® - have heritages stretching back more than a century. Other well-loved brands include Orbit®, Extra®, Starburst®, Doublemint®, Skittles®, Freedent®, Airwaves®, Life Savers®, Eclipse®, and Winterfresh®. Wrigley is headquartered in Chicago, Ill., and operates as a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated, a private, family-owned company founded in 1911. Mars, Incorporated is one of the world's largest food companies, generating global revenues of $30 billion annually and producing some of the world's leading brands in six segments that include Chocolate, Drinks, Food, Petcare, Symbioscience and Wrigley.

The Category Development Analyst develops detailed category management analysis, sales presentations, shelf schematics for the entire Kroger Team as well as Kroger personnel in order to develop and grow the confectionery category in all Kroger retail outlets.

1. Leading Aisle space management efforts
2. Manage seasonal category management – provide business reviews, assortment recommendations, and other required analysis
3. Provide category management support for western banner accounts
4. Leverage dunnhumby data in item mix decisions
5. Detect opportunities for sales growth by compiling market data, investigating and validating issues through detailed site assessments, and conducting consumer behavior analysis. Use this information to create an action plan and sales presentation to help close the opportunity gaps, optimize the category by satisfying the consumer by filling the specific consumer needs, and increase unit sales, dollar sales and dollar profits.
6. Responsible for analyzing sku rationalization, developing, recommending and testing all planograms, developing and reviewing the multi-pak in-line department and reviewing all seasonal gum/mint/roll candy programs. Responsible for analyzing any pricing initiatives in the gum/mint/roll candy category, along with analyzing and recommending any promotions that will further grow the category.
7. Work closely with Kroger headquarter and divisional personnel, under the direction and guidance of the National Category Development Director and the Category Development Manager - Grocery, to support business building plans for the confectionery category that utilize all appropriate data to effectively develop category optimization and category management programs.
8. Maintain strong customer relations with management to enhance credibility and maintain open communications leading to long term relationships that will promote business growth.
9. Perform special projects as requested by the senior Customer Marketing management, the Director - Grocery Team and the Team Leader.
10. 10. Perform other duties as assigned.

 This position requires account sales experience, advanced analytical skills, an understanding of consumer behavior and marketing research and strategy and knowledge of current consumer product sales industry trends.  This position also requires strong teamwork and interpersonal skills as this position is responsible for interacting with and working closely with Kroger personnel at all levels and other confectionery companies' category management teams.

Four year college degree is essential.