Catgeory Manager - Staples

About SuperK

SuperK is building Bharat’s most efficient value retail chain—designed for the next 500 million consumers.

We bring modern, organized retail to underserved Tier 3–5 towns through a sharply focused model: high-velocity assortments, deep value pricing, and capital-efficient store formats powered by a strong supply chain backbone.

Today, SuperK operates 150+ stores across multiple states, supported by a growing warehouse network and an integrated omni-channel platform. Our model blends FOFO (franchise-led scale) and COCO (company-led control) to expand rapidly while maintaining unit economics discipline.

We are now at an inflection point—with a clear path to 1000 stores in the next 5 years. The focus ahead is simple: scale fast, scale profitably, and build institutional-grade systems that can support a national retail network.

About the Role:

We are looking for a Category Manager – Staples to build and scale SuperK’s business in staples (oil, rice, atta, spices, pulses, etc.).

This role goes beyond procurement. You will act as the Business Owner for Staples—driving assortment strategy, vendor partnerships, pricing, monetization, availability, and P&L performance.

You will work closely with sourcing, supply chain, marketing, and store operations teams to ensure the category delivers strong growth, margins, and customer value.

Roles & Responsibilities

1. Category P&L Ownership

• •Own revenue, margins, and profitability for staples
• •Drive higher gross margins vs branded benchmarks
• •Optimize mix between private label and branded SKUs

2. Sourcing & Supply Chain Development

• •Identify and onboard manufacturers, millers, and contract partners
• •Negotiate cost structures, TOTs, and long-term supply agreements
• •Build a reliable, cost-efficient sourcing network with consistent quality

3. Product Development & Quality

• •Define product specifications (quality, grading, packaging)
• •Work with vendors to develop differentiated SKUs tailored for Bharat consumers
• •Ensure strict quality control and consistency across batches

4. Pricing & Value Leadership

• •Design pricing strategies that deliver clear value vs branded alternatives
• •Track commodity price movements and adjust pricing dynamically
• •Balance margin expansion with price competitiveness

5. Assortment & Merchandising Strategy

• •Build a focused, high-velocity assortment for staples
• •Drive in-store visibility for staples
• •Design merchandising and bundling strategies to improve adoption

6. Demand, Inventory & Scale

• •Forecast demand and ensure high fill rates across stores
• •Work with supply chain teams to maintain optimal inventory levels
• •Scale successful SKUs across regions and formats

7. Category Growth & Adoption

• •Drive brand penetration within the staples category
• •Work with marketing and ops teams on in-store and app-led interventions
• •Track repeat purchase, customer feedback, and product performance

8. Analytics & Performance Tracking

• •Track key metrics:
• •Gross margin %
• •Staples share in category
• •Sell-through and inventory turns
• •Repeat purchase rates

Identify underperforming SKUs and drive exit or improvement plan

What we are looking for

• •3 - 6 years in staples procurement, commodity trading, or category management
• •Strong experience in oil, grains, spices, pulses, or similar staples categories
• •Experience working with manufacturers / contract production
• •Strong commercial and P&L mindset
• •Deep understanding of commodity cycles and cost structures
• •Ability to balance cost, quality, and consumer value
• •Structured thinker with strong execution ability
• •High ownership and bias for action

Location - Bangalore