Job Details

Fresh Merchandiser

The Fresh Merchandiser is a field-based leader responsible for elevating the execution, quality, and profitability of all fresh departments across Grocery Outlet locations. This role provides hands-on operational support, merchandising expertise, and data-driven guidance to ensure consistent standards in produce, meat and seafood, floral, and other fresh categories. As a subject-matter expert in perishables, the Fresh Merchandiser helps strengthen capability, improve performance, and deliver a customer-ready fresh experience. The role combines operational leadership, business analysis, field coaching, and cross-functional partnership to drive long-term success across all stores in the region. This role reports to Director of Sales and Merchandising.

Responsibilities include:

• Fresh Operations & Merchandising Leadership
  • Leading execution of merchandising standards across produce, floral, meat/seafood, and other fresh categories
  • Guiding on weekly and seasonal presentation, adjacencies, and product flow
  • Ensuring consistent rotation practices, accurate culling routines, and high freshness levels
  • Supporting planogram adherence where applicable and offering creative solutions based on product mix
  • Providing coaching during store visits, including hands-on resets or adjustments when needed
  • Helping stores prepare for seasonal peaks, promotions, and key merchandising events
• Business Performance & KPI Management
  • Analyzing sales, margin, shrink, and inventory reports to identify opportunities
  • Helping build ordering disciplines that balance in-stock conditions with shrink reduction
  • Identifying root causes of freshness issues or low turns and creating targeted improvement plans
  • Partnering to improve profitability through better mix, pricing execution, and operational routines
  • Monitoring and influencing key KPIs across stores, including freshness, shrink, labor efficiency, and in-stock health
• Coaching & Capability Development
  • Participate in regular training in-store to learn latest practices on ordering, receiving and merchandising. Translate learnings into coaching for teams
  • Provide hands-on coaching at the shelf, cooler, backroom, and receiving areas
  • Train teams on all SOPs related to product handling, quality control, storage, and food safety
  • Support onboarding for fresh operations
  • Train on merchandising fundamentals and best practices
  • Follow up on store action plans to ensure improvements stick
• Food Safety, Quality, & Compliance Leadership
  • Reinforce all food safety standards, temperature controls, receiving protocols, and sanitation expectations
  • Ensure adherence to credit, receiving, and pricing maintenance procedures
  • Identify and escalate product quality concerns from the field
  • Monitor adherence to regulatory requirements and company policies
  • Support creating safe, compliant, and audit-ready fresh departments
• Cross-Functional Partnership & Field Insights
  • Provide field feedback to buying teams on product quality, pack size fit, availability, and assortment gaps
  • Support the execution of promotional programs and company-led initiatives
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with trainers, Purchasing, Merchandising, Marketing, and Operations
  • Escalate systemic issues (supply chain, quality, or operational roadblocks) with clear, data-backed insights
• Competitive & Market Awareness
  • Monitor local competitors for freshness standards, assortment trends, pricing, and display innovation
  • Identify opportunities for differentiation within each store's trade area
  • Use market observations to inform store strategies and internal feedback loops
• Project Leadership & Store Support
  • Assist with new store openings, remodels, resets, and special projects
  • Lead or support regional fresh-focused training or improvement programs
  • Partner with stores on event-week execution and seasonal transitions
  • Help train backroom organization and product identification systems
• Relationship Building & Communication
  • Build credibility with Operators and Store Managers through expertise and follow-through
  • Communicate clearly, professionally, and respectfully with Operators, Store Managers, vendors, and GO partners
  • Manage sensitive conversations tactfully, especially regarding performance gaps
  • Collaborate with peers to share insights, learnings, and best practices

About The Pay:

• Annual Bonus Program
• 401(k)
• Medical, Dental, Vision & More!
• Final compensation will be determined based upon experience and skills

About You:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 3-5 years of previous or similar retail merchandising experience
• 5-10 years in the perishables industry with a minimum of three years in a management position
• Independent, self-starter, resourceful, ability to resolve issues and recommend timely solutions
• Effective communicator, positive attitude, detail-oriented, organized and tactful
• Thorough knowledge of the retail food business, thorough knowledge of perishable department operations, merchandising skills, must be able to make timely and effective decisions
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, financial statements, government regulations and legal documents
• Ability to write presentations and present information effectively to top management, public groups, suppliers and operators
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
• Comfortable to use and leverage technology in daily work; proficiency in MS Office with high proficiency in MS Excel and MS Word
• Must have a valid Driver's license, reliable automobile and road warrior! Travel is up to 80-90%