My name is Claire Kasson, and I have been a merchandising manager with Walgreens for nearly four years. I came in as the Walgreens owned brand commercialization manager over the seasonal business, and today I am the category manager for celebrations and seasonal that includes gifts, décor and holiday cards for all major celebrations throughout the year.
What is a category manager?
To put it simply, a category manager is at the center of the many processes, teams and partners that bring products onto the shelves of our stores. A lot of our job involves research and strategic planning to find the products that consumers want the most. We look at a lot of market trends, sales data and consumer behavior to determine which items people are shopping for the most since the overall customer experience is at the center of everything we do. Although we want to bring customers exactly what they are looking for, we also want to include a few surprises along the way that stand out from the competition.
We work with many other departments and teams to determine the look, feel and design of the products, and we figure out ways to best display them in Walgreens stores. Since our locations span the entire country, in addition to looking at sales data we also get feedback from our in-store teams to let us know which items performed well at their locations and which ones did not—some products may fly off the shelves in one region but go untouched in others. The aggregate data is crucial to make the proper determinations for inventory management and the planning process for next year’s items.
The joy of merchandising
I was drawn to merchandising as a career because it offered the opportunity to use both sides of my brain. I am a creative person, but I also enjoy looking into the analytics behind the product. Merchandising allows me to analyze sales data to guide my business strategies while also allowing me to flex my creative skills.
At Walgreens, we are very much focused on the health and wellness of our customers and patients. Although a seasonal item to decorate your house or give as a gift to a loved one will not cure your cough or runny nose (although we also sell those), the joy and happiness these items bring to our customers certainly play a role in wholistic well-being. A spark of happiness from finding an unexpected decoration, gift or treat can go a long way in helping to bring a bit of warmth and coziness of the season, and it can absolutely help a person’s mentality and resolve to feel better.
For me, personally, there is a lot of joy in merchandising through being able to actually see and hold the fruits of my labor. The seasonal category runs at a fairly quick pace, and there is rarely a dull moment. Once you tie the ribbon on one celebration, another one is right around the corner with new trends, new themes, new products, new designs and new traditions, month after month and year after year. With such a dynamic, rapid market, products cannot become stagnant or boring. There is always something to change or do differently that will please customers more than the previous year.
The holidays are a time for family
Like most people, the holidays are a special season in my family that we all look forward to each year. My husband, Luke, and I moved to Chicago from Cincinnati, so every year we are eager to go back home to be with our loved ones for the holidays. I also have two older brothers and a younger sister who come back home, and it is always great to just be together and enjoy each other’s company, catching up and celebrating our wins during the past year. Since we were young, my aunt made a tradition of making personalized ornaments for each of us, and we love to go through all of them and decorate the tree at my parents’ house.
Cooking is a major point of pride in my family, and the kitchen is usually the wildest place in the house throughout the holidays. Every person has a claim to their signature dish, and we all hustle to make sure we have adequate time with the oven or stove top. My specialties are a Brussels sprouts dish with bacon, and I am also proud of my scalloped potatoes that offer another option to the bowl of mashed potatoes on the table.
Some years ago, I realized that the family needs a cocktail for the holidays, so I took it upon myself to develop them for our festivities. For this year, it's going to be a bourbon apple smash that requires a little bit of ginger beer, apple butter bourbon and lemon. My husband and I have been perfecting the recipe, and we are glad to say that it’s currently in the testing and quality assurance phase of the undertaking. Regular assessments are a very important and enjoyable portion of the development process that we enjoy as much as our rescued racing Greyhound Poncho loves his Walgreens Pet Shoppe dog toys.
Already looking forward to next year
Unlike most people, I have already started thinking about next year’s holiday season. In merchandising, we typically start planning for the holidays 16 months ahead of time, so what you see on the shelves of Walgreens stores this year was actually researched, discussed 10 times over, planned, negotiated and contracted well over a year ago. At Walgreens, we put a lot of care and attention into the items that eventually end up on our shelves. Leaving no detail untouched in a wide assortment of products, we require a lot of time to ensure the execution of our plan comes together as precisely as we had envisioned.
We are currently in the thick of working with our vendors for the 2025 holiday season and looking at themes that we will bring to our stores next year. Certainly, there will be some changes along the way once we have a chance to analyze the products that were most popular with our customers during this holiday season, but we already have an idea of what a year from now will look like.
Without revealing too much, I am really excited about what we are delivering to the shelves next year. There is a lot of cool stuff we're doing, and I believe the 2025 holidays at Walgreens will be a year that surprises our customers with an array of products that feel quite different. From gifts that satisfy everyone on their lists and décor that bestows a cozy, festive vibe to beautiful wrapping paper and unique holiday cards, our merchandise will brighten and delight our shoppers throughout the store. While I remain present in enjoying the moments of this holiday season with my colleagues, friends and family, my mind is already looking forward to the magic of the holidays next year.
Festive Voice Holiday Candle Set | Walgreens
Our Holiday Candle Set is the perfect present for someone hosting a holiday celebration or for someone who just deserves a little holiday cheer—everyone loves a candle! The scents are wonderful, and I love that it comes in a festive three-pack.
Modern Expressions Soft Blanket, Grey | Walgreens
I love this blanket and have been using it at my own house and giving it as a present as well.
Other than a thoughtful holiday gift, you can pair this blanket with a candle, some cold medicine and a sweet treat to deliver to a friend who is feeling a bit under the weather. Nothing says “I care” more than this gesture.
Festive Voice Light Up Ceramic Tree Green | Walgreens
I love all the light up décor that we carry, and this tree is my favorite of all we offer. It’s a fun, easy way to bring a bit of the holidays into your office, classroom or family room without taking up too much workspace.