Sales Representative - AWG Center Store

Sales Representative – AWG Center Store

Location: Bowling Green, KY or Nashville, TN

Department: AWG Center Store

The primary responsibility of this role is to increase center store sales through effective shelf management in our Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) member stores. All activities will be directed towards achieving the goals and objectives of the member stores within the assigned territory. A critical aspect of the role is to advocate for promoting AWG Brands across all center store categories. This position is located near Bowling Green, KY, or Nashville, TN. 

Position Responsibilities:

• Regularly work on-site at member headquarters and build relationships with merchandising and operations personnel. 
• Selling members on new items and product conversions. Analyze key distribution voids and provide recommendations to fill these voids with appropriate shelf placement of all items within the AWG Center Store portfolio, emphasizing AWG Brands items. 
• Execute monthly focus objectives assigned by the Center Store team, including introducing new AWG Brands items, managing conversions, addressing distribution voids, and promoting promotional opportunities and pallet/shippers.
• Recommend category layouts and shelf allocations, focusing on AWG Brands. Provide insights, analytics, and key recommendations to enhance the placement of AWG Brands and other key center store items within planograms as customers make assortment and planogram decisions. 
• Suggest products, product lines, and promotional activities, and analyze slow-moving items to encourage orders. 
• Increase distribution of AWG Brands items through insight-based suggested orders, planogram recommendations, “void” closures, merchandising opportunities, and inclusion in ads.
• Analyze AWG Brands' event planning/promotional files to recommend to customers the best deals for the key selling season, based on orders and TPRs. 
• Strive for the goal of 100 percent distribution on AWG Brands in all departments.
• Monitor distribution levels and prevent out-of-stock items in all departments with emphasis on items being in the distribution in the correct place according to planograms. Ensure items have the right retail according to competition, pricing of branded like-items, as well as in line with cost and competitive gross margin. 
• Perform analysis on retail sales and wholesale distribution data to identify areas of opportunity and drive sales with members.
• Assist with new store tagging and resets as necessary
• Responsible for sales growth within the assigned customer.
• Assist in member training of all AWG center store retail programs; including additional AWG Brands support and marketing programs. 
• Provide additional merchandising ideas and support opportunities (i.e. end cap programs, supplemental ads, digital coupons, demo programs).
• Complete the required reporting and analysis for the territory in a timely fashion as required by the division sales manager.

Position Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree Preferred/High School Graduate 
• 5 years in the Grocery Industry
• Strong Business Knowledge in grocery, health, beauty, natural, organic, and specialty foods a plus.
• Strong analytical capabilities. Planogram/Space Planning experience is a plus. 
• Self-motivated, able to accomplish established goals with minimal supervision
• Highly adaptable and able to manage various tasks while meeting multiple deadlines.
• Fact based decisions skills on item placement with supported sales data
• Attention to detail and time management skills.
• Effective relationship building skills to create and grow professional relationships with AWG members
• Team focused
• Strong customer service skills
• Strong communication verbal and written
• Strong merchandising skills
• Valid driver’s license- daily travel and overnights required
• Able to lift 40 lbs. or more- Bending, standing, and sitting for long periods of time
• Proficient with Power Point, Excel, and Word

Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) is the nation’s largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets, serving 1,100 member companies and more than 3,400 locations throughout 33 states from 9 wholesale divisions. Consolidated sales for AWG in 2024 exceeded $12.0 billion. In addition to its cooperative wholesale operations, the company also operates subsidiary companies that provide certain real estate and supermarket development services, and pharmaceutical products. For more information, visit AWGinc.com.

 Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Paid Vacation, Holiday, and Sick Time
• 401(k) with 4% match along with 3 other contributions
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Basic & Supplemental Life and AD&D
• Employee Assistance Program
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability 
• Wellness Program
• Yearly Holiday Bonus