General Manager Category
Resume:
Phillip Smallwood
*** **** **** *****, ***** Springs, NC 27540
****.*.*********@*****.***
Phillip Smallwood is a multi-channel operations and merchandising leader with expertise in retail operations, category management, vendor relations, data analysis, space planning, and negotiations. He has a proven track record of coaching and leading cross-functional teams to deliver companies' strategic and financial goals.
Advance Auto Parts (2015 - Present): As Senior Category Manager, Mr. Smallwood has managed Dorman, a strategic vendor encompassing 80 subcategories and over 35,000 parts. He directed the company's basket-building sales initiative, resulting in a 6% increase in units per transaction. He constructed the company's merchandising activity calendar, advised cross-functional teams on executing strategic projects to enhance sales and margin, and managed inventory. He developed a team of four category managers responsible for $1 billion in annual sales in high-volume categories, including Wipers, Lighting, and Antifreeze. He implemented a collaborative category planning process with cross-functional teams and vendors, leading to an 85 basis points gain in market share. Additionally, he led a company initiative for zero-based cost negotiations, resulting in a 22% reduction in Wipers' cost of goods sold.
The Pantry, Inc. (2011 - 2015): As Director of Packaged Beverage & Dairy, Mr. Smallwood developed strategic directions for the Packaged Beverage and Dairy categories for the Executive Leadership Team, fulfilling the company's goal of making Kangaroo Express a beverage destination. He led both internal and external teams of merchandising professionals to industry-leading sales performance, gaining 157 basis points of market share. He differentiated the Packaged Beverage offer by constructing a consumer market segmentation model to optimize product assortment, inventory turns, sales, and profitability. He built packaged beverage plan-o-grams for over 20 DMAs based on consumer demand, product innovation, demographics, and brand share to optimize sales and profits. He managed P&L responsibilities for annual sales exceeding $345 million, delivering 27% of total in-store profits, and elevated Packaged Beverage's total store sales contribution from 15% to 20%. He negotiated over $23 million in annual vendor funding, lowering the cost of goods by 7%.
BP (2003 - 2011): As Senior Category Manager, Mr. Smallwood was a member of the Extended Leadership Team, setting strategic brand direction via consumer research, marketing plans, and franchisee relations. He was responsible for sales and profit optimization of cooler space, leading a team of Beer, Packaged Beverage, and Dairy category managers, category analysts, and space planners. He developed and led the annual category planning process for the merchandising department, including consumer research, channel assessment, and evaluation of ampm brand health. He consulted and trained the Category Planning process for BP's international business units in Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa. He co-created and managed all aspects of branding, procurement, and supply chain for Packaged Beverage and Fountain proprietary brands. He held P&L responsibilities for annual sales of $450 million and $160 million in profits.
7-Eleven Inc. (1994 - 2002): As Market Operations Manager, Mr. Smallwood led a team of up to ten Franchisee Operations Consultants, providing financial, operational, and merchandising business advice for as many as 70 franchised stores throughout the Southern California market. He managed Packaged Beverage and Center of Store categories for 745 stores in Southern California. As Assistant Market Operations Manager, he assisted in all aspects of running a 75-franchised market, including franchise relations, sales planning, merchandising implementation, and Franchisee Operations Consultant recruitment, training and evaluation.
Education & Training: Mr. Smallwood holds a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising from California State University, Fullerton, with a minor in Business Administration. He has undergone various training programs, including Delta, Karrass Effective Negotiating, and JDA Space Planning.
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