Store Manager Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a store manager. Feel free to use our store manager job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a store manager.
Who is a Store Manager?
Store managers manage the day-to-day running of a store to maximize profits and minimize costs.
Store managers are responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of a department or store. Employees report to you and an area manager will be your supervisor.
Your job is to ensure that promotions are done according to company standards. You also have to make sure staff members are working towards the same goal.
Although the specific duties of a store manager will vary from one store to another and from one industry sector to another, they will generally be responsible for managing employee scheduling and payroll, dealing with sales issues, firing and hiring employees, as well as delegating other responsibilities to ensure that the store runs smoothly. A store manager is responsible for dealing with customers, communicating with vendors, managing loss prevention, and other issues that might arise in the day-to-day operations of the store. The manager must be flexible to adapt to different situations to ensure safety and satisfaction for both employees and customers.
The store manager could be the only one with keys depending on how big the store is. He is responsible for opening and closing it every day. The manager will establish a regular opening and closing schedule. This will include stocking shelves and counting register drawers to ensure accuracy.
The most difficult job of a store manager is managing employees. It can be difficult to manage the employees’ schedules, especially for larger stores. The manager must make sure that all shifts are covered each day. Managers must monitor employee performance and behavior. They must also praise employees for their good work. This is one of the more difficult aspects of being a store manager.
Managers must take customer satisfaction as a top priority. Managers must ensure that displays are easy to use, returns are processed quickly, and employees treat customers with respect. Any customer complaints about the service must be addressed by the manager. It can be hard to deal with hostile customers.
Store managers must also be able to prevent loss. Many stores have loss prevention teams that are on-site at all times. The loss prevention department is always on the lookout to detect theft and the manager must contact local authorities if theft occurs. Good store managers also devise strategies to stop shoplifting before it happens.
Store Manager Job Description
Below are the store manager job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a store manager job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a store manager include the following:
- Training and hiring new store employees
- Assisting in the management of store inventory and ordering new products when necessary
- Facilitating customer returns on damaged products
- Supervising the store and ensuring that all departments are working properly
- Promoting deals, discounts, and other strategies to help the store reach its sales goals
- Supervising stock control, pricing, and markdowns
- Creating strategies to maximize profitability
- Attaining sales goals
- Motivating the team to achieve sales goals
- Complying with safety and health legislation
- Setting up promotional materials and displays
- Managing and motivating a team to improve sales and efficiency
- Managing stock levels and taking key stock control decisions
- Forecasting future sales by analyzing sales figures
- Facilitating planning, analyzing, and interpreting trends
- Using information technology to analyze data, create a plan, and record sales figures
- Dealing with issues like interviewing candidates, performing appraisals, and reviewing performance.
- Organizing or providing training and development
- Resolving safety, legal, and security concerns
- Responding to customer comments and complaints
- Organizing promotions, displays, and other events
- Organizing and participating in meetings
- Updating colleagues about business performance, new initiatives, and other relevant issues
- Visiting the sales floor, speaking to customers and colleagues, and identifying and solving urgent problems.
- Dealing with sales as and when necessary
- Keeping track of store market trends, understanding future customer initiatives, and monitoring what competitors are doing
- Making changes to improve the business. For example, the opening hours could be changed to make the store more competitive in the local market.
- Promoting the organization locally by liaising with local newspapers and the general community
Other important tasks include:
- Management of employees
Store managers have the primary responsibility of managing employees. This includes managing employees at all levels, including sales staff, store staff, and cleaning staff.
- Cost minimization
This involves controlling the expenses necessary to operate a store. Applying cost-effective policies can reduce expenses, which will result in higher profitability. This is possible by reducing waste, errors, and accidents. When a store follows a low-price policy (such as Wall-Mart), this task of minimizing costs becomes essential.
- Forecasting and Budgeting
A store manager is better equipped to predict the store’s future performance and calculate future expenses. Budgets can also be set by this person. Implementation of store strategy involves explaining the targets and funds to the department heads and collecting their performance regularly.
- Implementing marketing plans
This includes the implementation of marketing strategies that are designed to achieve the store’s strategic marketing goals. This could include determining the effectiveness of sales distribution programs, ensuring that sales promotions are carried out, and allocating space.
- Team Leadership:
Managers are responsible for motivating their employees and decreasing resistance to changes in work methods when new strategic directions are being established. The Store manager must ensure that all his employees work together as a team and leave no personal grudges.
Qualifications:
Education
Employers prefer candidates who have a high school diploma, or GED and have strong store and management experience. A candidate can earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree and learn basic business principles that they can use in the workplace.
Training
Most store managers are promoted from a lower-level position. A candidate can learn the basics of managing stores by working closely with a manager in a lower-level role.
Certification
To be a store manager, you don’t need any certifications. Store managers can obtain certifications if they wish to improve their earning potential or be more competitive when applying for new management positions.
Store managers are most interested in the Retail Management Certificate (RMC). This accredited business program can be completed within a year and provides store managers with an academic view of their role in the storage industry. Store managers also get the certification to help them with workplace problem-solving and management strategies.
Essential Skills
- Multi-tasking
Store managers must be able to manage all employees and keep their strengths and weaknesses in check while prioritizing multiple projects. This is what I refer to as “looking up at the blimp”, i.e., seeing the action on the field instead of being there.
This is the best way to help them develop their problem-solving skills. Managers who can successfully multitask and can balance multiple priorities without losing productivity are the best.
- Decision-making
A manager who is competent in evaluating and deciding which factors are critical to a store’s success will be an effective one. This can often mean that actions need to be taken quickly. However, making the right decisions quickly without making mistakes requires that you evaluate information and decide what is important.
Managers who look at the same situation repeatedly without making a decision are not good for your company. You’ll lose sleep, profits, and many sales opportunities if you keep one.
- Leadership
Store managers must be able to manage people using their listening and problem-solving skills to motivate their employees and keep them engaged.
This means being constructive and judicious in your criticism, not belittlement. Respecting others is more important than “my way or the highway”. This means that you should lead by example and not just do what I say. These leadership skills encourage employees to do their best.
- Motivation
This is a key component of leadership. You must learn how to motivate employees in a store to be a successful leader. Motivation is not something I can speak about, but it is an internal thing that drives me to be a great speaker.
Successful store managers have clear expectations and can nurture this. Setting goals can help managers stay focused on the long-term success and growth of their company.
- Organizational skills
Store managers must be able and willing to identify areas where the company’s procedures or rules can be improved. These are skills that millennial employees have when they start. Be open to the possibility of them solving problems.
These skills can be demonstrated in many ways by a leader, including streamlining processes, hiring the best employees, correct training, and cutting down on costs.
- Communication skills
Only a small amount of communication involves the spoken word. To convey a message, body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice can all be combined with words.
The best store managers have the ability not only to communicate their points but also to listen to the people around them. True communication skills require that you turn off your smartphone and look at the person to listen, not speak.
- Customer service skills
Excellent customer service skill is a key priority if you are considering a career as a store salesperson.
Store managers must not only provide exceptional customer service now but they must also be able to see the future. Consumers are increasingly busy and have less time so they want to find more convenient ways of shopping for their favorite items online. However, no matter where they shop for goods, consumers expect seamless shopping experiences across all channels.
- Delegation
Store management requires that individuals are responsible for multiple aspects of the business. However, it is impossible to be in every place at once. It is essential to learn how to delegate to be successful in your role.
Managers can find it difficult to delegate responsibility. It is important to surround yourself with competent people who can trust each other and can solve problems without you being involved.
- Leadership
Employees will be able to perform their jobs effectively if they are given the right training and development. This is in addition to leadership qualities such as clear communication goals, individual ownership, and shared goals. This will allow you to concentrate on your core responsibilities and give you the security of knowing what is expected of each of your employees.
How to Become a Store Manager
- Get a diploma from high school or an equivalent credential
Although you can begin a career as a salesperson in a store without a diploma, a managerial position will require this. The General Education Development test (GED), which is a national credential equivalent to a high-school diploma, can be taken by those who don’t have a high school diploma.
- Consider working in a retail store
You might consider accepting an entry-level job in a retail store. This will allow you to develop customer service skills as well as learn about the organization and selling of products in a store.
- Earn a business degree.
An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business can help you be more eligible for management positions in retail stores. It will also give you the essential knowledge on how to manage a store effectively. You may also want to earn your RMC certification during this time.
- Become a department manager.
After you have completed your education, you might be able to move up the ranks and become a department manager in a store. This role will give you management experience, and also allow you to move up from the associate level to a higher position within your store.
- Get a promotion to a store manager position
After getting enough experience as a department manager, you may be able to search for a store manager position in other stores if your store experience is limited or you are unable to find a job.
Where to Work
Store managers work in all sizes and industries. A store manager might report directly to the store owner if they are working for a small company. Larger companies have store managers who report to the corporate top management. To help improve productivity and establish better practices, skilled store managers can be transferred to other locations.
Store managers work full-time and are often able to work flexible hours. However, because they have a wide range of responsibilities, they may need to work long hours to ensure the smooth running of all activities in the store.
Store Manager Salary Scale
The average store manager is paid an annual salary. This can vary depending on their previous experience in-store management, where they live, what company they work for, and the average performance of their store.
The average salary of a store manager in the United States is $44,330 per annum