Job Description

Role:

Area Sales Executive - Standalone Modern Trade

Company:

Sweet Karam Coffee

Location:

Chennai + Coimbatore###

Key Responsibilities

Account Management & Business Growth:

Manage and drive revenue growth in assigned Standalone Modern Trade (SMT) outlets like Namdharis, Ratnadeep, Modern Bazaar, MK Retail, etc.
Handle all aspects of the MT distributor network, including appointment, ROI planning, performance tracking, and execution processes.
Drive secondary sales targets while ensuring timely stock replenishment and minimal returns.

Execution & Visibility:

Ensure high-quality execution of monthly/quarterly trade promotions, in-store activation, new product launches, and display drives. Work with merchandising partners to ensure planogram adherence, FIFO-based stock rotation, and stock freshness.

Distributor Management & Operations:

Create and manage Distributor ROI sheets and ensure distributor profitability within market norms. Streamline order-to-cash processes, claims, and schemes through Distributor Management System (DMS) and other sales tools/platforms. Provide regular inputs to distributors to improve efficiency, reduce wastage, and ensure visibility investments are properly executed.

Relationship Management:

Maintain strong relationships with category buyers, store managers, and distributor sales staff to influence shelf space, order frequency, and visibility. Handle on-ground execution support and local negotiation of secondary displays and sampling activations.

Sales Planning & Reporting:

Use DMS and Excel-based tools to update and track store-wise sales performance, offtake trends, inventory movement, and claims. Provide weekly dashboards and action plans based on store-level and beat-level insights.

New Store Onboarding & Range Expansion:

Identify high-potential outlets and oversee the end-to-end onboarding of new standalone MT stores. Drive range-selling and increase SKU depth per store through targeted sales push and tactical offers.

Market Intelligence & Competition Tracking:

Monitor competitor activities including pricing, schemes, product placement, and consumer feedback to feed into local sales strategies

Education & Experience:

Graduate/MBA preferred
2-5 years of experience in FMCG retail/modern trade, preferably with a focus on standalone MT formats
Experience in managing MT distributors and familiarity with DMS systems is mandatory

Skills & Competencies:

Fluency in the local language, along with proficiency in Hindi/Tamil and English, is essential Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships across store and distributor networks Data-savvy, hands-on with Excel, DMS, and sales tracking tools Self-driven, entrepreneurial mindset with high ownership and execution capability * Comfortable with local travel (up to 50%)