Saijal Patel

• P&L ownership from forecasting, managing sales, margin, shrink, and other income delivering results periodically
• Accountable for annual category budget building strategic annual plans to drive sales and profitability, managed weekly, periodically
• Conduct annual category strategy plans developing objectives using Nielsen data insights, analyzing market share and competitive landscape, to achieve key performance targets
• Build effective relationships with vendors to continually manage trade spend and costing, offering customers the best value in the market
• Lead direct reports through portfolio assortment management, creating promotional plan, develop in-store merchandising direction, to then be communicated to various cross-functional teams from supply chain to store operations in a timely manner

• Developed Loblaw Brands private label products for acne, skin, sun care and hair care categories by leveraging market insights and consumer trends
• Deliver on objectives to grow profit and control brand penetration by working with category teams and sourcing teams to build out 3-year strategy plan
• Collaborated with vendors to maintain enterprise plastics sustainability initiatives, reducing single use plastic packaging in control brand products
• Created new orientation process for Loblaw Brands to on board new colleagues and summer interns, to provide a full view of the product life cycle and stakeholders involved with development
• Completed Building a Beloved brand course, developed brand strategy for private label skin care and presented to senior leadership team.

P&L Management through developing annual category budget, reporting and monitoring on a periodic basis for assigned category

• Report sales and margin for the category on a weekly basis to manage LE and achieve growth targets
• Strategically review product assortment on a continual basis to ensure profitable sales whilst meeting customer demands
• Work with control brand team to deliver on control label objectives to gain market share through promotions and product development
• Communicate merchandising direction to operations team through Merchant Insight projects, weekly conference calls, formal communication on FLIP (company communication platform)
• Review vendor proposed cost changes with internal teams (commodities and procurement) to negotiate product costs
• Mentor and coach direct reports to enhance team development through weekly team meetings, individual performance reviews both informal and formal and store tours. Upheld company DEI initiatives through participation of the Wholesale Way Council: sourcing guest speakers, hosting town halls and teaching DEI and leadership courses to fellow colleagues

• Develop and maintain promotional plans using ISAT and follow proofing process to ensure items are accurately advertised in the flyers
• Negotiate and communicate promotional activities with vendors as well as provide forecasts for all promotional activity to vendors and internal support teams (supply chain, procurement)
• Generate reporting to manage pricing and gross profits, including reviewing competitive pricing on a weekly basis
• Created and implemented the first Deli Sauna program in Wholesale by reviewing SKU rationalization, building new assortment with vendors, planning promotional activity for the
• Manage promotions in conjunction with vendors providing forecasts, ad performance analysis as well as adhering to vendor income policies
• Successfully completed over and above projects by joining committees to improve processes and communication between Merchandising teams and Operations, execute promotional programs (Summer Lock Down 18-week program) and build promotional analysis tool
• Re-designed DMAP (Pocket Guide) to improve merchandising directions provided to Operations for all flyer activity

• Actively participate in driving category sales through managing assortments, as well as conducting pricing and costing analysis according to Loblaw standards and procedures
• Professionally communicate with vendors on an ongoing basis to address store concerns, new products, and promotions
• Utilize the reporting functions of MicroStrategy to produce and analyze weekly sales as well as ad hoc reporting for management
• Support the daily functions of the Wholesale clubs and Affiliated Independent operators by addressing store issues (scan logs, order and delivery challenges, product distributions)
• Establish and maintain projects with GFS on a weekly basis to provide stores with the right product assortment at the right price