Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers or Store Managers supervise a retail organization's staff, meet customer needs and plan and coordinate sales, merchandising and budgeting. In order to effectively perform the multitude of tasks required, managers should work well under pressure and with deadlines, and have significant experience in retail business and human resources. They also need strong leadership, interpersonal and multitasking skills.

Store managers may work for a variety of retailers, including food, apparel and electronics. They work in an office environment while performing administrative duties and on the sales floor while addressing staffing, customer and merchandising needs.

Tasks:

1. Managing and motivating a team to increase sales and ensure efficiency
2. Managing stock levels and making key decisions about stock control
3. Analysing sales figures and forecasting future sales, analysing and interpreting trends to facilitate planning
4. Using information technology to record sales figures, for data analysis and forward planning
5. Dealing with staffing issues such as interviewing potential staff, conducting appraisals and performance reviews, as well as providing or organising training and development
6. Ensuring standards for quality, customer service and health and safety are met;
7. Resolving health and safety, legal and security issues
8. Responding to customer complaints and comments
9. Organising special promotions, displays and events
10. Maintaining awareness of market trends in the retail industry, understanding forthcoming customer initiatives and monitoring what local competitors are doing
11. Initiating changes to improve the business, e.g. Revising opening hours to ensure the store can compete effectively in the local market
12. Dealing with sales, as and when required

Key skills for Retail Store Manager:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Effective influencing and negotiation skills
• Strong customer focus
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Analysing and problem-solving skills
• Commercial awareness
• Flexibility
• Strong time-management skills
• Attention to detail
• Demonstrable leadership and management qualities

Average salary (2014):

The United Kingdom: £43,000 per year
The United States of America: $53,300 per year
Australia: AU$45,351 a year

Qualifications and training required:

Retail organization has their own in-house managerial training programs that ranges from a week to a year, and coursework will be a combination of classroom lectures and hands-on experience, with a focus on customer service skills and employee relations and interviewing. Coursework in such programs includes topics like human resources, merchandising, and retail management. However, some employers prefer to have their store managers gain real experience in sales and retail management rather than formal training programs.