Experience

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  T. Quality Limited

  • Swindon, United Kingdom

  • Buyer

    • Sep 2018 - Present
    • Swindon, United Kingdom

    T.Quality are a national wholesaler specialising in the supply of goods to the Fast-Food industry, in particular Fish & Chip shops.• Buyer of defined Fast Food categories with a value in excess of £7m p.a. • Responsible for maximising savings and negotiating preferential terms and pricing. • Developing promotions, managing own label products and brands.• Brand and product marketing within supplier/category remit.• Responsible for buying stock for nominated Distribution Centres ensuring optimum levels of stock are maintained.• Managing discontinued stock, slow moving and out of date goods.• Managing supplier claim and credit issues.• Maintaining product data, specifications and supplier data within an inventory management system.• Maintaining products within our on-line store using Adobe Photoshop and bespoke upload software.In 2021, T.Quality’s Company turnover exceeded £100m for the first time.

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  DCS Group (UK) Ltd

  • Stratford Enterprise Park, 1 Timothy's Bridge Road

  • Category Insight & Business Analyst

    • Sep 2007 - Dec 2017
    • Stratford Enterprise Park, 1 Timothy's Bridge Road

    DCS is the UK’s leading distributor of Health, Beauty and Household goods. Working for market leading suppliers Colgate Palmolive, PZ Cussons, SC Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser and Unilever. DCS in the name is Denys C Shortt OBE who founded the company in 1994. Based in Stratford-upon-Avon until April 2017 when the company relocated to Banbury. The business turnover is in excess of £200m.Category Insight & Business Analyst • Analysis of Nielsen and IRI category data to maximise benefit of our principal’s brand share strength to drive home importance of category and market leadership• Analysis of Nielsen and IRI category data to identify key product performance and drive increases in distribution within the DCS customer base.• Interpret and analyse customer range/sales data to maximise sales opportunities.• Maintain existing and build new customer relationships for DCS by taking an independent expert category approach thereby delivering annual incremental sales of more than £1m through realised opportunities and new business wins.• Provide category insight and reporting to sales team and the customer base.• Obtain and analyse market data to produce the annual DCS Core Range Catalogue an industry-wide respected guide to the Personal Care & Household Sector.• Merchandising. Produce customer specific planograms to maximise category sales.• Key business user of DCS Vision an in-house sales shipments query tool. Provide training support to new and existing users.• Internal owner of the DCS product category hierarchy used for category reporting• Generate PR for DCS via trade business journals to deliver corporate publicity. Manage trade press advertising requests from concept through to design and print.

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  National Wholesale Confectioners (Sugro)

  • Nantwich, Cheshire, Unied Kingdom

  • National Account Manager Sugro Distribution Ltd (SDL)

    • Apr 2006 - Sep 2007
    • Nantwich, Cheshire, Unied Kingdom

    Sugro Distribution, founded in 1992, is the contract distribution arm of Sugro UK, part of National Wholesale Confectioners Ltd. A buying group specialising in convenience categories. SDL was formed to provide National and Regional clients with a one-stop shop delivery service for a wide variety of food and non-food requirements. Deliveries were made through a network of mainly independent family owned and operated wholesaler members.National Accounts Manager • Manage the day to day account operations of SDL customers through a network of independent delivered wholesalers to include customer service; contract pricing; new range opportunities and terms.• New business development for the SDL network. Identifying potential customers and making contact to secure new distribution accounts. Devise quotations for commercial companies in catering, leisure and vending supply• Prepare contract tenders for potential clients such as the NHS, Buying Groups (TUCO, NUS, SNUPI) and Borough Councils.• Produce marketing material to be used on line and in print to advertise SDL service

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  Somerfield

  • Merchandising Controller

    • Jan 2003 - Apr 2006

    Somerfield (originally Gateway) was a national food supermarket operator with a head office based in Bristol. The company also previously owned the Kwik Save chain of discount food stores. Somerfield was taken over by the Co-operative Group in March 2009 creating the UK’s fifth largest food retailer.Programme Controller (G Grade) - May 2005 - March 2006• Programme managed the introduction of a Merchandising and Ranging system (SUCCoR - Store Unique Centrally Controlled Range) into the 1400 store estate of Somerfield and Kwik Save realising incremental sales benefit in excess of £27m to the business.• Project support for key stakeholders and the project sponsor working closely with IT and Store Operations on implementation.• Responsible for the delivery of system training support to users in Buying and in stores.• Manager for a team of five analysts challenged to proactively make ranging decisions.Merchandising Services Controller (G Grade) - Jan 2003 - May 2005• Managed a team from three, ultimately to a maximum of eleven, responsible for central data management of product ranging, store space, store retail price tier structure and depot relationships, shelf edge labels and price books.• Utilised central mainframe systems, client server systems and data warehouse information support systems to carry out a wide variety of specialist data management responsibilities.• As the central team responsible for the set-up of new stores, the team successfully assisted the Company through recovery after the purchase and re-launch of 120 former Safeway stores and 80 convenience and forecourt stores (Aberness integration).

  • Senior Project Manager

    • May 1998 - Jan 2003

    • Delivered price tier management IT system project on behalf of Buying allowing automated price tier update as per business store price tier strategy.• Worked with Finance team to provide price tier margin benefit modelling for Corporate Price Strategy Group led by multi-discipline senior team.• Represented Buying for the Kwik Save business integration project.• Represented Buying for several IT/Buying related projects such as Unit Pricing (legal), replacement of Add Product interfaces. • Management responsibility for a Best Practitioner training network whose role was to share best practice in data administration within individual team groups to improve data quality to achieve a "right first time" outcome.

  • Project Manager (Buying)

    • May 1996 - May 1998

    • Project managed the introduction of the pricing tiers which delivered store prices and several iterations of the corporate pricing strategy in the drive to improve corporate margin. • Worked on numerous range projects - built the first forecourt store range (Project Pixie), was instrumental in the operational launch of the Basics value brand and devised discount trading propositions for struggling stores through an initiative called discount tier utilising price and range overlays with bold signage. • Promoted to Senior Project Manager "G " Grade in May 1998

  • Trade Marketing Manager

    • Sep 1994 - Aug 1996

    • Joined the 170 store strong Gateway Community Stores Division - the role of which was to prove small Gateway stores could successfully convert to the Somerfield proposition. Initially part of a Trade Marketing team I became its leader in April 1995 because of an internal re-organisation.• Defined and implemented a divisional pricing strategy by product area. • Developed and maintained a small store specific range for stores receiving upgrades. Included seasonal ranging activity worked closely with support office buying and merchandising teams to achieve.• Delivered a small store promotional programme to reduce store workload whilst maintaining the opportunity offered by such activity. Liaised with all areas of business to ensure successful implementation.• Managed a store group wide buying plan working with the division's managing director to proactively manage the margin.• Gained retail expertise from Store and Area Managers and Regional Directors. Visited stores to define store clusters driven by local demographics and market dynamics to support price and range strategy.• The Community Stores Division was successful in convincing the business that the consumer proposition created would convert to Somerfield and stores were amalgamated into a new all estate structure. I transferred to the buying department to roll out initiatives and systems into the wider estate.

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  VG Limited

  • Coventry, United Kingdom

  • Brand Manager

    • Sep 1991 - Sep 1994
    • Coventry, United Kingdom

    VG was the original symbol group operator for convenience retailers in the UK using a network of 7 wholesalers who also operated either SPAR or MACE symbol stores. The company was wound up by the wholesale members in 1994 as a cost reduction exercise.Brand Manager • Own Brand buyer and marketeer. Responsible for cost negotiation, product specification and pricing, promotion activity and brand marketing to independent retailer members.• Delivered a re-design and re-launch of 350 VG branded products across all categories Dairy, Frozen, Bakery, Grocery (Edible and Non-Edible) and Beers, Wines & Spirits.

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  Nisa Today's Ltd

  • Scunthorpe

  • Private Label Manager

    • May 1989 - Sep 1991
    • Scunthorpe

    NISA-Today’s was the leading grocery sector buying group for convenience store retailers. NISA was formed in 1977 to pool the buying power of independents as supermarket chains grew. Ten years later Today’s was set up by wholesalers looking for similar scale.Private Label Manager • Responsible for negotiation, buying, design and specification for all in-house brands sourced on behalf of retail, wholesale and catering independent members across specific trading categories. Brands managed; Nisa, Today's, Favourite, Kitchen King and Londis.• Negotiated promotional and brand marketing activity to drive listing support by members.

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  Co-operative Wholesale Society, Distribution Group

  • Various

  • Project Officer Area Operations (East)

    • Sep 1985 - Nov 1988
    • Various

    Distribution Group was an operating division of CWS – Co-operative Wholesale Society tasked with the grocery procurement, warehousing and distribution centre operation for all retail co-operatives that were party to distribution agreements. The CWS at that time included wide ranging manufacturing interests and todays equivalent is the Co-operative Group whose stores trade as The Co-Op.Project Officer Area Operations (East) • Joined company from University as a Management Trainee, based in the Supplies Dept. at a new RDC (Bromborough) in a project capacity. When the opening was delayed I moved to Birkenhead RDC to support the day to day operation.• Transferred to Manchester Head Office to work on the Vendor data set-up for the new Worldwide Chainstores purchasing system.• Returned to Bromborough RDC to complete Supplies Dept. training and provided operational support to the new warehouse team.• Promoted to Project Officer and transferred to Halesowen RDC to work as part of a project team whose task was to implement computerised depot stock control.• Working within the Supplies department implemented 2 centre buying – a first for Distribution Group enabling the closure of the function at Alfreton RDC.• Undertook a very hands-on role in stock and vendor management; promotional and commodity purchasing and provided ad hoc support to warehouse operations.