Empire Marketing Strategies

Kroger-exclusive food brokerage and in-store execution

Retail Specialist

MerchandisingConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timePalmdale, CA, USA$41.6k - $45.8k /yrIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

A high school diploma or equivalent is required.
A current driver's license and clean Motor Vehicle Report are required.
The role requires the ability to operate a motor vehicle and travel regularly between work sites, with additional travel as needed, including possible overnight stays.
The role requires prolonged standing for 80% of the time and regular position changes among sitting, squatting, standing, and kneeling.
The role requires regularly lifting and moving 25–35 pounds, and occasionally lifting and moving 40–60 pounds.
The role requires regular use of hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls, and to reach with hands and arms.
The role requires close vision and the ability to see computer-screen or written information and objects from 20–40 feet.
The role requires regular operation of a personal motor vehicle, manual pallet jacks, and hand trucks.
The role requires use of Microsoft Excel.
The role requires clear and concise written correspondence, accurate information exchange, and the ability to present information individually or in groups.
The role requires autonomy and the ability to work toward results.
The role requires reading and comprehending simple to complex instructions, correspondence, and memos; solving practical problems with limited standardization; interpreting written, oral, diagram, or schedule instructions; and performing basic arithmetic with whole numbers, fractions, and decimals.
Duties are performed in grocery stores, potentially including refrigerated or freezer environments, and in outside facilities such as customer warehouses, kitchens, and manufacturer-client facilities, which require additional safety precautions.

Responsibilities

Call on stores throughout the assigned territory at the established frequency to support grocery suppliers.
Sell and ensure in-store merchandising, including building displays, packing out product, replenishing permanent secondary displays, and maintaining the salability of authorized items.
Rotate perishable products as required by manufacturers and conduct freshness checks where required.
Regularly check store shelf tags to ensure continued distribution and assist with product reordering.
Meet and maintain retail objectives and shelf standards in the assigned territory.
Set sections according to customer schematics or stocking plans as required or beneficial to manufacturers or clients.
Maintain distribution of manufacturer-client products approved by Kroger or its Planogram team.
Sell and service represented principal accounts to ensure authorized items are on shelves and properly priced and tagged.
Maintain and update territorial records and review sales reports to track progress toward assigned goals.
Monitor competitive activity and promptly report information through appropriate channels.
Submit complete and timely reports using supplied forms and requested frequencies, including reports through PowerBI or Go Spot Check.
Set up manufacturer or client brand displays in accordance with customer regulations and display objectives.
Coordinate with Operations on promotional programs, including their execution, reporting, and future order requirements.
Place point-of-sale materials and Instant Redeemable Coupons in stores as required by manufacturers or clients and approved by the retailer.
Build and maintain rapport with store personnel in assigned territories.
Demonstrate proper product preparation and display to customer employees.
Communicate promptly by email and telephone; maintain territory files and company-owned office equipment; attend scheduled company meetings; and control expenses within guidelines.
Perform other duties as required.

Desired Qualifications

One to two years of experience related to the consumer packaged goods, grocery, or retail industry is preferred.

Description

Now Hiring Retail Specialists in Palmdale / Valencia, CA!

About Us: Empire Marketing Strategies has been a leader in delivering exceptional in-store execution for over 40 years, enhancing the customer experience in grocery retail. Operating in all 18 Kroger divisions across the U.S., we partner with some of the world's top brands to optimize their presence in over 2,500 store locations. Our team thrives on tackling diverse challenges in the fast-paced retail industry. We value dedication, talent, and a passion for excellence.

Why Join Us?

Flexible, M-F Work Schedule, 9 Holidays off
Earn a competitive salary plus 80% employer-covered benefits
Full-Time Associates: Eligible for medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, disability coverage, a retirement program, mental health support, paid time off, and 9 paid holidays annually.
Part-Time Associates: Eligible for our retirement program and access to mental health support resources
A dynamic work environment where you’ll make a real impact.

Job Summary:

Empire supports Meat/Seafood, Deli/Bakery, Produce, and Grocery suppliers in the Kroger stores which includes calling on all the stores in assigned territory within the established call frequency. The Retail Specialist will sell and ensure best in class in store merchandising to include building displays, packing out product, and replenishing permanent secondary displays and maintain salability of all authorized items.

Essential Functions:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions:

Shelf Maintenance
Product Analysis & Reporting
Promotional Display Maintenance
Customer Support and Training
Other Administrative Duties
Physical Requirements

Core Functions:

Shelf Maintenance
Rotate product as required by manufacturer for perishable merchandise and for merchandise requiring freshness checks.
Conduct regular checks of store shelf tags to ensure continued distribution and assist with reordering of product.
Ensure that all retail objectives and shelf standards are met and maintained in assigned territory.
Keep sections set to customer’s schematic or stocking plan as is required or beneficial to manufacturer or clients.
Maintain 100% distribution of all manufacturer-client products approved by the Kroger family of companies or Planogram (POG) team.
Sell and service all principal accounts represented by Empire to ensure all the authorized items are on shelf and priced and tagged properly.
Product Analysis & Reporting
Maintain and update all territorial records.
Carefully review all sales reports to maintain awareness of progress toward assigned goals.
Maintain competitive awareness and promptly report all information through proper channels.
Report completely and on time using forms supplied and with the frequency requested.
Utilization of reporting tools such as PowerBI or Go Spot Check to report on specific goals and targets.
Promotional Display Maintenance
Set up displays of manufacturer or client brands while working within the guidelines of customer regulations and manufacturer/client display objectives.
Coordinate activities and cooperate with Operations regarding the execution of promotional programs, including reporting and future order requirements.
Execute point-of-sale material and Instant Redeemable Coupons to stores as required by the manufacturer or client and approved by the retailer.
Customer Support and Training
Establish and maintain rapport with all store personnel in assigned territories.
Perform training demonstrations for customer employees regarding proper preparation and/or display of product.
Other Administrative Duties
Timely communication requirements including email and telephone.
Maintain territory files and company owned office equipment.
Attend and participate in all scheduled company meetings.
Exercise expense control within guidelines.
Other duties as required.

Requirements

Education and Experience:

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Current Driver’s License and clean Motor Vehicle Report required.
1-2 years of CPG/grocery/retail industry related experience preferred.

Physical Requirements:

Ability to operate a motor vehicle and travel regularly between work sites.
Additional travel as needed, which may include overnight stays.
Prolonged periods of standing – 80% of the time.
Ability to change positions between sitting, squatting, standing and kneeling on a regular basis.
Regular lifting and moving up to 25-35 pounds from one location to another, sometimes several feet away from each other.
Occasional lifting and moving up to 40-60 pounds from one location to another, sometimes several feet away from each other.
Regular use of hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to see objects, information on computer screens, and/or view written information, from distances of 20-40 feet.

Tools and Equipment:

Regular operation of a personal motor vehicle to and from work sites.
Regular operation of manual pallet jacks and hand trucks on work sites.
MS Excel

Work Environment:

Duties are typically performed in a retail grocery store setting, which could include refrigerated or freezer environments.
Also required to be in outside facilities, including but not limited to, customer warehouses, kitchens, and manufacturer-client facilities, all of which require more safety precautions than a normal office environment.
Noise levels – typically moderate.

Required Skills/Abilities:

Ability to write clear and concise correspondence.
Ability to accurately exchange information.
Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
Ability to be able to operate autonomously, with strong personal drive for results.
Ability to effectively present information in one on one or group situations.
Ability to read and comprehend simple to sometimes complex instructions, correspondence, and memos.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

About the Company

Empire Marketing Strategies

Kroger-exclusive food brokerage and in-store execution

Empire Marketing Strategies is a Kroger-exclusive food broker that provides in-store sales support and category management for CPG brands. It runs department-focused teams across 2,500+ Kroger stores to manage shelf presence, planograms, displays, and out-of-stock resolution, using tech like a proprietary alert system, AI shelf monitoring, the GoSpotCheck app, and Power BI dashboards. The firm combines in-store execution with data from Kroger 84.51° Stratum, Circana, and Kantar to guide category management and item tracking. Its goal is to help brands grow their Kroger market share through hands-on retail execution and data-driven insights, backed by a long-standing, deep Kroger relationship.

Company size: 501-1,000
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: Not listed
Founded: 1980

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