Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Merchandiser – Convenience Food (FT/PT)

🎯 Role Definition

The Merchandiser – Convenience Food (FT/PT) is a field-based retail specialist responsible for executing planograms, maintaining category presentation, replenishing shelves, implementing promotions, and driving sales compliance across convenience stores (c-stores), petrol forecourts, bodegas and other convenience retail outlets. This role balances product availability, visual presentation, and retailer relationships to maximize on-shelf availability and category performance for CPG brands. The ideal candidate is organized, customer-facing, comfortable working independently on a route, and capable of using handheld devices and retail reporting tools to document execution and inventory.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Retail associate or sales assistant with merchandising responsibilities
Route driver or stocker for convenience stores or grocery chains
Promotional brand ambassador or field merchandiser (part-time)

Advancement To:

Senior Field Merchandiser / Lead Merchandiser
Retail Sales Representative / Account Manager (C‑store or Drug channel)
Category Captain or Category Manager (CPG)
Field Supervisor / District Merchandising Manager

Lateral Moves:

Shopper Marketing Specialist
Retail Operations Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Execute daily and weekly merchandising routes across assigned convenience store accounts, ensuring all scheduled visits are completed on time and routes are optimized for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Implement and maintain planograms and shelf layouts exactly to brand and retailer specifications, adjusting facings and placement to maintain compliance and maximize visibility.
Replenish shelves, coolers and gondolas from backstock and route inventory to guarantee on-shelf availability of high-turn products and seasonal lines, minimizing out-of-stocks.
Conduct full store resets and seasonal displays, including moving fixtures, stocking new items, installing POS signage and promotional materials to deliver a consistent brand experience.
Audit retail accounts for planogram compliance, pricing accuracy, shelf tags, and promotional execution, documenting discrepancies with photos and corrective action plans in the merchandising app.
Monitor product rotation and expiry dates for perishable and chilled convenience foods; remove expired product and ensure proper rotation to reduce shrink and maintain food safety standards.
Execute promotional campaigns and temporary merchandising programs (T-markets, endcaps, impulse displays) according to schedule and dealer agreements to drive lift during promotional periods.
Build and maintain strong retailer relationships—communicate with store managers and staff to negotiate space, resolve issues, and secure prime shelf placement or cooler access.
Manage route-level inventory and handheld device records, reconcile physical stock with system records, and report inventory variances or opportunities for replenishment or redistribution.
Capture high-quality images of in-store displays, coolers and promotional setups for reporting and performance tracking, tagging photos with account IDs and timestamps.
Use handheld merchandising software, CRM and POS audit tools to log work completed, submit corrective actions, and upload proofs of execution in real time.
Report competitor activity in the field, including new product introductions, pricing changes, secondary placement and promotional strategies to inform category strategy and competitive response.
Support new item introductions (NIIs) by placing trial merchandising, sampling support, and monitoring sell-through to inform future distribution decisions.
Ensure planogram integrity and recommend shelf optimization or product rationalization based on velocity, space constraints and retailer feedback.
Perform basic fixture maintenance and small repairs for shelving, cooler signage and shelf-talkers to maintain professional in-store presentation.
Adhere to company safety standards and store-specific rules, including safe lifting, vehicle operation, food handling procedures and personal protective equipment (PPE) when required.
Train and coach junior merchandisers or temporary staff during peak seasons to ensure consistent execution and adherence to brand standards.
Prepare visit notes and exception reports highlighting issues that require district or client escalation (e.g., chain-level out-of-stock, rejected promotions, or unauthorized planogram changes).
Coordinate with warehouse and distribution to manage replenishment orders, route stock levels, and timely pickups/drop-offs to prevent gaps on the next visit.
Track and escalate merchandising performance metrics such as on-shelf availability (OSA), planogram compliance percentage, out-of-stock rates, and sell-through to support continuous improvement.
Manage cashless payment for small in-store demonstrations or sampling where applicable and reconcile any petty cash or promotional materials log as per company policy.
Support ad hoc merchandising projects such as competitor audits, mystery shop preparation, and retailer loyalty program activations as requested by merchandising leadership.

Secondary Functions

Provide detailed feedback to category managers on shopper trends and in-store merchandising effectiveness to influence broader category strategies.
Assist with basic data collection and input for weekly merchandising scorecards and KPI dashboards used by the district and brand teams.
Support promotional forecasting by communicating sell-through and inventory constraints observed in the field, helping to refine replenishment plans.
Participate in route planning reviews and suggest efficiency gains, including consolidation of accounts or optimized visit frequencies based on velocity and store demand.
Help coordinate logistics for special events, national rollouts or seasonal activations, liaising between stores, distribution centers and field operations teams.
Support quality control checks for cold-chain and food safety compliance and coordinate corrective actions with store management where necessary.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Planogram execution and planogram reading — ability to implement and audit shelf schemes accurately.
Retail execution software and handheld devices — experience using merchandising apps, proof-of-visit tools, and mobile data entry platforms.
Inventory management and stock reconciliation — track route stock, backroom inventory, and reconcile differences.
Point-of-sale (POS) and pricing audit skills — verify shelf tags, promotional pricing, and scan-based data where required.
Category merchandising fundamentals — facings, adjacencies, secondary placement, and space allocation knowledge for convenience food.
Food safety and perishable handling — basic understanding of FSS/ServSafe or equivalent guidelines for chilled and ready-to-eat items.
Photo documentation and digital reporting — capture and upload high-quality photos with correct metadata for compliance evidence.
Route planning and time management tools — ability to optimize multi-stop routes for productivity and compliance.
Basic fixture maintenance and small repairs — install shelf-talkers, replace hangers, and ensure display stability.
Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets — basic data logging, simple spreadsheets for inventory or reconciliation tasks.
Valid driver’s license with a clean driving record and ability to drive company vehicle or use public transport for route coverage.

Soft Skills

Strong attention to detail — meticulous about planogram accuracy, pricing and product rotation to reduce shrink and maximize sales.
Excellent communication and relationship-building — comfortable negotiating with store managers and influencing retail staff.
Self-motivated and disciplined — works independently on route with minimal supervision and meets productivity targets.
Customer service orientation — prioritizes retailer needs and positive in-store experience to strengthen partnerships.
Problem solving and decision-making — resolves stock exceptions and merchandising conflicts in real time under pressure.
Organizational and time-management skills — balances multiple accounts, paperwork and reporting deadlines.
Physical stamina and manual dexterity — able to lift, move and stock goods safely and complete repetitive tasks.
Adaptability and flexibility — adjusts to changing store hours, last-minute route changes and promotional shifts.
Teamwork and coaching — able to train or mentor temporary staff and collaborate with district teams.
Integrity and reliability — trustworthy when handling company property, inventory and retailer relationships.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent (required).

Preferred Education:

Associate degree or vocational certificate in Retail Management, Supply Chain, Business or a related discipline.
Certifications in food safety (e.g., ServSafe) or merchandising preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Retail Management
Supply Chain / Logistics
Business Administration
Hospitality / Food Service Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–5 years of retail or field merchandising experience; part-time candidates with strong retail background considered.

Preferred:

2+ years merchandising experience in convenience store (c-store), grocery or CPG field roles with demonstrated route management and planogram compliance.
Experience managing perishable or temperature-controlled products, executing promotional rollouts, and using retail execution software.