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Candice Melless

@candicemelless

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Category Manager at Massmart who grew a 12,000-SKU department by 10% and delivered R3.9 million in cost savings.

South Africa

Message

At Massmart, I manage category strategy and commercial execution across retail portfolios. I managed a 12,000-SKU department generating R780 million in sales and delivered 10% year-on-year growth.

I led a R21 million tender process that achieved R3.9 million in cost savings through supplier negotiations and strategic consolidation. I also developed and rolled out a strategic execution guide that delivered 96% sales growth and 151% unit growth year on year.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Buyer | Category Manager

Current

Massmart

Jan 2019 - Present (7 years 8 months)

Lead category strategy and commercial execution across complex retail portfolios, managing a 12,000-SKU department generating R780 million in sales with 10% year-on-year growth. Delivered 96% sales growth and R3.9 million in cost savings through strategic sourcing and supplier negotiations.

Category Strategy Strategic Sourcing Supplier Management Commercial Negotiation Range Development Pricing Strategy Portfolio Optimization Margin Management Tender Management Customer Insights Data Analysis New Product Development Stakeholder Management Cross functional Leadership Excel

Junior Buyer

Massmart

Jun 2017 - Dec 2018 (1 year 6 months)

Supported category strategy, supplier negotiations, range development, pricing, and commercial execution before progressing into a Buyer/Category Manager position.

Category Strategy Supplier Negotiation Range Development Pricing Commercial Execution

Trainee Buyer

Massmart

Aug 2016 - Jul 2017 (11 months)

Completed Massmart's buying development pathway, building foundational experience in retail buying, commercial analysis, supplier management, and merchandising before promotion to Junior Buyer.

Retail Buying Commercial Analysis Supplier Management Merchandising