CHICAGO -- Category managers are a driving force behind the ongoing growth of the convenience-store industry. Their relationships with vendors, knowledge of trends and overall category insights keep the industry relevant, competitive and breaking in-store sales records year after year.
The third annual Category Manager of the Year awards are CSP’s way of identifying and celebrating the best category managers in the industry today. Through Aug. 17, CSP is asking its supplier and wholesale partners to submit their nominations for the c-store industry’s finest category managers at CSPDailyNews.com/CategoryManagerAward. Nominees should:
- Drive sales through both innovative thinking and a sharp focus on data.
- Influence others within their company and the industry as a whole.
- Have a deep understanding of their customers and markets.
- Foster meaningful relationships within the industry.
“We began these awards as a way to celebrate the women and men who live and breathe their categories,” said Abbie Westra, director of retail content for Winsight, during the 2017 Category Manager of the Year award ceremony. “They straddle the store and the corporate offices. They know their vendors, their ops team, the IT guy and, most of all, they know their guests. They truly understand what’s really resonating with today’s consumers.”
Finalists are chosen by the CSP editorial staff based on the highest number on nominations. Suppliers and distributors can then vote on the finalists to determine the winners, who will be announced during a special ceremony at the 2018 Convenience Retailing University, to be held Feb. 21-23 in Glendale, Ariz. They will also be featured in a special section of CSP’s Category Management Handbook, to be published in spring 2018.
The honor of Category Manager of the Year will be bestowed on one person from each of six product categories:
- Candy
- Foodservice
- General merchandise/health & beauty care
- Packaged beverages
- Snacks
- Tobacco/OTP
Click here to see the 2017 winners
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.