Category Manager, National Merchandising

Build Your Career with Ashley Furniture- Where Innovation Meets Comfort
At Ashley, inspiring the love of home is at the heart of everything we do. As the world’s largest manufacturer of home furnishings, we’re more than a business — we’re a family driven by innovation, competitiveness, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. We persevere through challenges, push beyond the status quo, and constantly seek better ways to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Our solutions‑first mindset and dedication to growth are why Ashley remains #1 in our industry.

If you’re ready to grow, you’ve come to the right place. With a true “Growth Mindset,” Ashley Furniture invests in developing future leaders and helps every team member learn from the best in the business.

If you are a current Ashley employee: Please login to your UKG account and apply using the internal job board.

Summary
The Category Manager – National Merchandising is responsible for developing and executing category strategies and seasonal assortment plans that maximize retail brand presence, sales performance, and profitability. This role serves as the category expert, identifying new product opportunities, optimizing existing assortments, and ensuring consistent execution across all national merchandising channels.

This position collaborates cross‑functionally with product development, sourcing, planning, pricing, marketing, and visual merchandising teams to deliver trend‑right, financially sound assortments.

Responsibilities
Category Strategy & Assortment Planning

Develop and execute category strategies and seasonal assortment plans aligned with company objectives

Serve as the category subject matter expert; optimize assortments by introducing new products and eliminating underperforming SKUs

Build seasonal product mixes by channel, including pricing tiers, subcategory segmentation, and SKU productivity

Present data‑driven insights and actionable recommendations to leadership

Financial & Performance Management

Analyze category performance through sales, margin, pricing, and inventory productivity metrics

Conduct process category reviews to identify risks and opportunities

Partner with planning and pricing teams to implement pricing strategies, including markdowns and promotional adjustments

Drive category sales, margin expansion, and inventory efficiency

Product Development & Lifecycle Management

Collaborate with product development and sourcing to bring trend‑right, customer‑focused products to market

Manage product lifecycle from concept through launch, including merchandising strategy and campaign alignment

Recommend product positioning, pricing architecture, and assortment expansions

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

Partner with merchandising, marketing, creative, and visual teams to execute cohesive product strategies

Align on promotional calendars, campaign support, and go‑to‑market plans

Work closely with regional merchandising and store teams to ensure effective in‑store execution and feedback loops

Store & Market Insights

Conduct store visits and engage with regional teams to gather insights on customer preferences and product performance

Utilize feedback to refine assortments and identify growth opportunities

Perform competitive analysis and market research to stay current on industry trends and customer expectations

Partner with visual merchandising teams to guide floor layout decisions and storytelling

Support showroom setup, market preparation, and seasonal presentations

Maintain high standards of merchandising that reflect brand positioning

Process & Timeline Management

Ensure adherence to merchandising processes and seasonal timelines

Support cross‑functional alignment to deliver on key milestones and product launches

Participate in major furniture markets to assess trends and evaluate product opportunities

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Business, Marketing, or related field

5+ years of experience in merchandising, category management, or retail buying

Strong analytical skills with experience in sales, margin, and inventory analysis

Proven ability to develop and execute category strategies

Experience collaborating across cross‑functional teams in a fast‑paced environment

Strong communication and presentation skills

Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data analysis tools

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in furniture, home goods, or retail merchandising

Familiarity with AI‑driven analytics, automation tools, or advanced forecasting systems

Experience managing multi‑channel assortments (retail, e‑commerce, etc.)

Strategic thinking and business acumen

Product intuition and trend awareness

Cross‑functional collaboration and influence

Execution focus and attention to detail

This position is located in a climate‑controlled office environment with standard lighting and moderate noise levels typical of professional workspace settings. The role primarily involves sitting at a desk for extended periods while working with computers, phones, and other office equipment. The collaborative environment includes interaction with team members and may require attendance at meetings, conference calls, and cross‑departmental communications during regular business hours.

Benefits We Offer

Health, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program

Paid Time Off; increases with years of service

Generous Employee Discount on home furnishings

Professional Development Opportunities

Tuition Assistance

Ashley Wellness Centers (location specific)

401(k) and Profit Sharing

Life Insurance

Our Core Values

Honesty & Integrity:

Acts with transparency, discretion, and ethical judgment. Trusted to handle sensitive information and provide accurate, unbiased insights.

Dirty Fingernail:

Takes full accountability for outcomes, not just tasks. Inspects details, ensures data accuracy, and follows through to completion.

Continuous Improvement:

Actively seeks better ways to improve templates, tools, and processes. Learns from prior initiatives and embeds lessons into standard work.

Growth & Results Focus:

Understands how transformation initiatives drive growth, cost reduction, and profitability. Keeps work aligned to enterprise priorities.

Culture of Leadership:

Leads through influence, reliability, and example. Builds trust across functions and supports leaders at every level.

Customer‑Centric & Boundaryless:

Works across silos for the greater good of the organization. Ensures outputs meet the needs of executives, initiative owners, and teams.

Operational Excellence:

Demonstrates strong organizational discipline, attention to detail, and the ability to translate ambiguity into clear, executable tools.

Interested in learning more about Ashley Furniture’s Community Engagement programs, Environmental Stewardship, or our Core Values, click the links below:

Corporate Social Responsibility
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and provide a drug‑free working environment. While Ashley appreciates the interest of all candidates only those meeting specific position requirements may be contacted. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment. The company reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

Notice to Search Firms
We are not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms. We will not pay any placement, referral or other fees to any search firms unless we have agreed otherwise in a valid, written agreement for the specific position posted and signed by an authorized representative of Ashley Furniture Industries.

* Please note this position is not eligible for current or future employment sponsorship. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or at any time in the future.

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