Natasha Beck
Berwick,VIC
Summary
Passionate about inspiring and leading teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance. As a Merchandise Manager with expertise in inventory planning and buying, I bring a diverse range of experience working with iconic Australian brands. My proven ability to lead high-performing teams, develop brands and categories, and implement effective merchandising strategies has been instrumental in driving business success. With a track record of delivering results, I excel at balancing strategic vision with operational excellence, ensuring sustainable growth and impactful outcomes.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Merchandise / Buying
Independent Pharmacies of Australia
01.2022 - Current
- Take full ownership of the Commercial Team’s Profit and Loss (P&L) accountability, ensuring financial performance aligns with organizational goals
- Deliver sales and profit targets for membership revenue and income streams, maintaining alignment with established budgets and strategic plans for the IPA business
- Develop and implement strategies to maximize profitability while controlling costs and optimizing resource allocation across the department
- Regularly review and analyse financial performance metrics, identifying trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement
- Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure the commercial strategy supports broader business objectives and market positioning
- Guide and work with the category team to develop comprehensive category retail strategies that aligns seamlessly with the overarching Merchandise Strategy and IPA’s business objectives and long-term vision
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, such as marketing, merchandising, and supply chain, to ensure the strategy integrates effectively across all areas of the business
- Lead, mentor, and inspire a dynamic buying team of 15 professionals, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture
- Support team members’ professional growth through coaching, training, and development opportunities, enabling them to excel in their roles
Senior Category Manager
Advantage Pharmacy Group (Now IPA)
01.2017 - 01.2022
- Driving sales and profit growth for the largest retail portfolio within the pharmacy channel, Vitamins.
- Working collaboratively with owners across 800 pharmacies to support sales growth across my portfolio
- Driving the growth and innovation in a category that is already saturated, working with suppliers to stand out from the crowd
- Working cross functionally with other departments to produce new and exciting branding and promotional campaigns
- Analysing market trends, product offerings and opportunities, and developing and delivering a online retail offer in an effort to break into new markets.
- Negotiating deals with key suppliers,
- Identifying opportunities to improve contracts, agreements and promotional programs
- Managing the department’s budget and associated financial contracts to drive profit for members and Income for the business
Category Manager
Food works Supermarkets
01.2014 - 01.2017
- Managing 16 health and beauty product categories with more than 30 sub-categories and thousands of SKUs, with a focus on product and market development, and strategic growth
- Working collaboratively with retailers across a portfolio of more than 400 supermarkets
- Identifying growth categories and opportunities, and project-managing specialist campaigns
- Driving the growth of high-margin health food, vitamin and cosmetics products once considered niche or non-core products to secure new business in competitive markets
- Working closely with stores to develop health food narrative, branding and campaigns
- Analysing market trends, product offerings and opportunities, and developing and delivering new catalogues and catalogue elements to break into new markets
- Negotiating deals with key suppliers, especially for new categories and products
- Identifying opportunities to improve contracts, agreements and promotional programs
- Managing the department’s complex and varied budget and associated financial controls
Business Category Manager
Sigma Pharmaceuticals
01.2013 - 01.2014
- Leading and developing a buying and category management team, driving performance to ensure the meeting and exceeding of ambitious KPIs and operational targets
- Working closely with retailers (owners of more than 650 stores) to develop individual and national-level product and category marketing and promotions campaigns
- Identifying trends and new target markets and working with suppliers to drive the launch of highly competitive private label skincare and cosmetics brands
- Project-managing the development, importation and introducing of new fragrance ranges, with a focus on key seasonal campaigns to compete with large retail chains
- Managing import and distribution for the first time in the company’s history, including the development of logistics capacity, delivering strong results across a range of categories
- Producing detailed and accurate reports for senior management teams relating to specific categories, campaigns, promotional programs and special projects
Category & Brand Development Manager
Hair House Warehouse
01.2011 - 01.2013
- Designing and delivering strategic category plans including analysis of specific markets and individualised programs for the promotion of particular brands and products
- Building and maintaining productive working relationships with retailer representatives and managers across a diverse national portfolio of retail stores and outlet centers
- Renewing relationships with a key supplier to drive new business
- Analysing existing product lines based on performance and working closely with suppliers and vendors to develop and manage marketing and promotion campaigns
- Project-managing the introduction of specialist private label product categories
- Providing assistance to team members with regard to other private label efforts
- Contributing to the development of corporate strategies, growth plans and campaigns, providing advice to senior management teams and supporting high-level decision-making
Senior Buyer – Fashion Stationery
Officeworks Superstores
01.2009 - 01.2011
- Managing brand and category develop in a fast-paced, big-box retail environment
- Project-managing the development of new product ranges including initial concept development, design programs, prototyping, testing, production and product launches
- Providing advice and guidance to buying teams, senior managers and senior buying colleagues about fashion stationery target markets (children and teenagers)
- Coordinating seasonal buying programs in line with broad category and product strategies
- Leading study tours and coordinating market testing and market research efforts
- Managing the performance of external consultants and product development teams
- Securing fabrics and other samples from international suppliers and then working with designers to establish innovative, new fashion stationery product lines
- Working collaboratively with other management and buyer groups to ensure an integrated approach to retailing, branding, promotion and business development
- Coordinating range-building, merchandising and the production of in-store planograms
Inventory Coordinator / Buyer
Officeworks Superstores
01.2007 - 01.2009
- Working as an Inventory Coordinator before being offered a Trainee Buyer role and then a Buyer role soon, thereafter, having proven successful in both roles
- Leading the roll-out of new product lines including the introduction of small, high-margin consumer and recreation electronics
- Tracking category margins and results and developing business process improvements to produce efficiency and drive strong retail results
- Developing planograms for new and existing product lines and categories
- Leading a specialist buying team and providing ongoing training and professional development opportunities including with the company’s leadership programs
- Building and maintaining strong working relationships with store managers, individual department managers, and supplier and vendor representatives
General Merchandise Planner / Analyst
Coles Supermarkets
01.2005 - 01.2007
- Coordinating merchandise planning in line with longer-term strategies and agreements with product suppliers and vendors
- Managing overseas inventory, logistics and international buying
- Establishing and implementing sales, promotions and merchandising budgets
- Working closely with store managers and merchandising teams to manage stock rotation and to troubleshoot stock return processes with suppliers
- Producing reports for management teams in support of merchandising decision-making and the development of merchandising plans and strategies
- Playing a key role in the negotiation of agreements with suppliers
- Leading successful seasonal programs including back-to-school, Christmas, Easter and other holiday marketing and merchandising campaigns
Retail Assistant
Ringwood Cellars
01.2001 - 01.2002
Retail Assistant
Phillip Murphy Liquor
01.2000 - 01.2001
Casual Store Assistant
Red Rooster
01.1998 - 01.2000
Education
Diploma of Business -
Wesfarmers Learning
01.2009
Certificate IV in Business Management - Retail
Coles Myer Limited Institute
01.2005
Certificate II in Retail Operations -
Recruit Net Training
01.2002
Certificate I in Retail Operations -
Recruit Net Training
01.2001
Skills
- Leadership & Team Management
- Strategic Thinking, Problem-Solving
- Financial Acumen
- Performance Analysis
- Communication
- Negotiation
- Customer Focus
- Digital Retail & Omnichannel Retail experience
- Collaborative Management Style
- Brand & Product Management
- Category Management
- Problem-solving
- Customer service
- Teamwork and collaboration
References
Excellent professional references available on request.
Timeline
Head of Merchandise / Buying
Independent Pharmacies of Australia
01.2022 - Current
Senior Category Manager
Advantage Pharmacy Group (Now IPA)
01.2017 - 01.2022
Category Manager
Food works Supermarkets
01.2014 - 01.2017
Business Category Manager
Sigma Pharmaceuticals
01.2013 - 01.2014
Category & Brand Development Manager
Hair House Warehouse
01.2011 - 01.2013
Senior Buyer – Fashion Stationery
Officeworks Superstores
01.2009 - 01.2011
Inventory Coordinator / Buyer
Officeworks Superstores
01.2007 - 01.2009
General Merchandise Planner / Analyst
Coles Supermarkets
01.2005 - 01.2007
Retail Assistant
Ringwood Cellars
01.2001 - 01.2002
Retail Assistant
Phillip Murphy Liquor
01.2000 - 01.2001
Casual Store Assistant
Red Rooster
01.1998 - 01.2000
Certificate IV in Business Management - Retail
Coles Myer Limited Institute
Certificate II in Retail Operations -
Recruit Net Training
Certificate I in Retail Operations -
Recruit Net Training
Diploma of Business -
Wesfarmers Learning
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