NEELAM DESHMUKH
Mumbai
Summary
Dynamic Senior Category Manager with a proven track record at Reliance Retail, driving P&L ownership and vendor negotiations. Achieved significant revenue growth through strategic brand partnerships and assortment optimization. Expert in omnichannel execution and inventory management, delivering impactful results in competitive markets.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Category Manager - Skin Care (Omnichannel)
Reliance Retail - Tira Beauty
Mumbai
11.2025 - Current
- Owned 120 Cr skin care category P&L across online and offline channels.
- Drove growth via assortment optimization, pricing actions, and vendor negotiations.
- Closed, exclusive brand partnerships enabling margin expansion and co-funded marketing.
- Created 1.5% incremental revenue through paid e-commerce visibility placements.
- Improved availability using trend- and seasonality-led forecasting, reducing sales loss by 2%.
- Delivered a 5% sales uplift and ₹2 crore incremental revenue via strategic SKU bundling.
Category Manager - Omnichannel
Reliance Retail
Navi Mumbai
04.2023 - 11.2025
- Managed n165 Cr annual business across offline and e-commerce channels
- Delivered n30 Cr margin improvement through negotiations, pricing, and mix optimization
- Built exclusive brand agreements and rental commercial models, generating 3.5% incremental revenue
- Reduced EOL inventory by 25% while protecting category margins
- Improved order cancellation from 7% to <2% via MDQ, SFS, and PAS execution
- Enhanced store-level assortment by catchment, driving 75% volume growth
- Led private label pilot resulting in 10% margin uplift and 7% sell-out growth
Merchandising Manager - Smart Wearables & Accessories
Reliance Retail
03.2022 - 03.2023
- Owned merchandising for PAN-India category; launched smartwatch displays nationwide
- Delivered 94% volume growth and 89% value growth during key events
- Drove 40% volume growth during Onam via regional pricing and promotions
- Achieved 56% volume growth during Apple NPI launch and 29% YoY revenue growth
- Improved store productivity from PPS 0.6 to 1.1
Onsite Merchandiser - Personal Care & GM
BigBasket
Bangalore
11.2017 - 04.2018
- Owned P&L; for Personal Care and GM under JIT and SOR models
- Drove 32% YoY growth via online campaigns and PDP optimization
- Improved CTR to 2.88% vs 2.36% category average
- Onboarded premium brands generating n1 Cr incremental monthly revenue
Department Manager - Beauty & Lifestyle
Shoppers Stop
Navi Mumbai
04.2016 - 09.2017
- Managed Cosmetics, Skin Care, Fragrances, and Fashion categories
- Launched NYX and Yves Rocher in India
- Delivered sales growth through vendor management and staff training
- Certified Personal Shopper (Femina Miss India program)
Education
PG Diploma - Sales & Marketing
Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
India01.2025
MBA - Human Resources
Allana Institute of Management Sciences
Maharashtra, IndiaB.Sc - Biotechnology
University of Pune.
Maharashtra, IndiaSkills
- P&L ownership
- Vendor negotiation
- Brand partnerships
- Assortment strategy
- Pricing strategy
- Omnichannel execution
- Inventory management
- Availability forecasting
- Promotions planning
- Go-to-market strategy
Timeline
Senior Category Manager - Skin Care (Omnichannel)
Reliance Retail - Tira Beauty
11.2025 - Current
Category Manager - Omnichannel
Reliance Retail
04.2023 - 11.2025
Merchandising Manager - Smart Wearables & Accessories
Reliance Retail
03.2022 - 03.2023
Onsite Merchandiser - Personal Care & GM
BigBasket
11.2017 - 04.2018
Department Manager - Beauty & Lifestyle
Shoppers Stop
04.2016 - 09.2017
PG Diploma - Sales & Marketing
Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
MBA - Human Resources
Allana Institute of Management Sciences
B.Sc - Biotechnology
University of Pune.