Retail Sales Job Description: What This Career Looks Like

Retail sales associates need many hard and soft skills to be successful in their roles. Working in retail means delivering excellent customer service, expert product knowledge and accurate cash handling. Retail makes sense for those who want to start a rewarding career with plenty of room for growth.

Think about the last time you visited a store to buy something you needed. Who was working behind the counter? Who offered help in the fitting rooms or on the sales floor?

It may not be something we consider daily, but retail workers are an essential part of the in-store experience. They help find products, provide recommendations and answer questions about services.

As of 2021, retail employed almost 19 million people in the United States.?

What Are Retail Sales Jobs?

A retail sales job is any job that involves working inside a brick-and-mortar retail store, where retail salespeople fulfill many needs.

Most retail jobs are customer-facing in that retail sales associates are visible to and interact with customers. They assist customers, make product recommendations, demonstrate said products and conduct transactions at the cash register.

Other retail jobs focus more on the merchandising side of things. For example, product merchandisers stock shelves and racks, arrange products and displays or take inventory. In addition, retail jobs sometimes involve work in a store’s back areas or stockrooms, processing deliveries and preparing them for the sales floor.

Retail sales jobs exist anywhere that people shop. A career in retail can start in the following places:

• Shopping malls
• Department stores
• Specialty boutiques
• Hardware stores
• Car dealerships
• Furniture stores
• Many other stores

Many retail sales positions are entry-level jobs that involve on-the-job training. However, depending on the products a person sells, they may need specialized knowledge or experience.

Retail Sales Associate Job Description

What does a retail sales job description look like? It can take different forms depending on the level of responsibility and complexity of the job, but the following example includes typical job duties and experience requirements:

Position: Retail Sales Associate

Location: Store Name and Location

[STORE NAME] is now hiring enthusiastic sales associates. This job is an excellent fit with plenty of growth potential. Qualified applicants will be passionate about [INDUSTRY] and helping customers find the right [PRODUCT OR SERVICE] to meet their needs.

Job description:

As a sales associate at our store, you will assist customers with questions or concerns about our products. Sales associates will discuss the benefits and features of our products while providing excellent customer service. Job duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Sell products in a fast-paced environment
• Provide exceptional customer service to drive sales and encourage repeat visits
• Conduct transactions with a cash register and point-of-sale (POS) system
• Assist in maintaining store appearance through merchandising, straightening and refilling product
• Participate in store meetings to learn more about products and industry trends

Desired skills and experience:

• Minimum of one year of retail experience in sales or customer service
• Minimum of one year of cash-handling experience
• Proficient computer skills, including point-of-sale (POS) systems
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Open to work during high-traffic periods, including nights, weekends and some holidays
• Ability to stand for long periods
• Ability to lift between 30 and 50 pounds regularly with or without accommodations
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Experience working with a team of like-minded professionals

Job types: Part-time, up to 28 hours per week

Required Experience for Retail Sales Associates

Retail sales is often a fantastic introduction to the working world because it allows employees to develop soft skills that suit them well in future roles. But what requirements do retail stores have for their entry-level employees?

Even if a person does not have actual work experience when trying to find their first retail sales job, they may have an applicable background that meets some of those requirements. Volunteering can be a form of customer service, for example. In addition, relevant math or communications classes in high school or college can show hiring managers a willingness to learn new things.

Because many people entering the workforce cut their teeth on retail sales jobs, it is possible to find a retail sales associate job with minimal (or no) experience. In many cases, larger companies with less-specialized products (such as department stores or mall retailers) are the most accessible places to find that first retail job.

Recommended Skills for Retail Sales Associates

Someone who wants to excel in a retail sales career needs specific skills. Cultivating the appropriate skill set takes time and energy. But because many of those behaviors and practices translate to other fields, it is worth the investment.

Soft Skills

Soft skills refer to how a person works and interacts with others in the workplace. Think of them as character traits and personal attributes. Soft skills impact relationships and how others view a person. For example, excellent soft skills are especially valuable in a customer service-focused environment like a retail store.

Common soft skills that retailers seek include the following:

• Communication
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving
• The ability to multi-task
• Empathy
• Eagerness to learn at a brisk pace
• A friendly attitude

Hard Skills

Hard skills, meanwhile, are the nuts and bolts of how a person does their job. In retail, this primarily means cultivating product knowledge and expertise, but it also includes the following:

• Active listening
• Strong verbal communication skills
• Specific retail skills
• Ability to quickly conduct customer transactions with a POS
• Math and money skills
• Product styling and display skills

Retail Sales Associate Responsibilities

One sure thing about retail sales work is that every day brings unique challenges.?

On any given day, a retail worker may help customers, refill inventory, process new products for sale or even clean the store. Some companies ask their associates to handle loss prevention duties such as receipt checks and recovery statements, but most try to deter theft via attentive, positive customer service.

Greeting Customers

The primary expectation for many retail sales associates is to greet customers when they arrive. Some companies immediately focus on identifying customer needs, while others coach their teams to share promotional details.

Recommending Product/Services

Most retail salespeople focus on recommending products or services to their customers or clients. As a result, retail workers often need a good knowledge bank about the products they sell and current trends, especially in seasonal businesses.

In addition to sharing and recommending products, a significant piece of the retail sales puzzle is overcoming objections or finding alternative options if the first suggestion fails to meet customer needs.

Completing Transactions

In some stores, a retail salesperson will handle all parts of the transaction, including using the POS to complete the sale. In others, the associate will hand the customer off to a cashier. Many retail stores operate on thin payroll budgets and minimal staffing, so handling each piece of the customer journey is essential for success.

Managing Inventory

Most sales associates take part in some form of inventory management. For some workers, that can be as simple as arranging merchandise on the sales floor between assisting customers. For others, it might mean working in the backroom to unpackage freight and prepare it for the floor.

Many companies expect employees to have a basic idea of what is in stock or at least know how to find that information as a customer service best practice. Others may outsource the heaviest parts of inventory work to a third-party company, with sales associates double-checking the counts.

Final Thoughts on Becoming a Retail Sales Associate

Many professionals learn a wealth of hard and soft skills in retail work during high school, college or after graduation. Others turn it into a rewarding career with opportunities to join store management. Sometimes, a part-time sales associate can make it to the company’s C-suite.

Top Takeaways

• Retail sales is a challenging career that requires expertise in customer service, cash handling and product knowledge.
• Retail salespeople work in various settings, from grocery and department stores to specialty boutiques.
• Many retail sales managers start as part-time sales associates.
• The hard and soft skills a person develops in retail can translate to other professional settings.

(Reporting by NPD)