Career as a Retail Store Worker

There can be many employees in a retail store, or very few depending on size and scope. Most large department stores employee sales people, cashiers, customer service representatives, managers, and stock/shipping employees. Some small retail stores only employee sales people who complete all these other tasks. The typical work for someone in retail is selling a good. Salespeople are responsible for aiding a customer when they enter the store obtaining the item they want and then ensuring that they pay for the item, in some stores a cashier will complete the transaction but in many cases the salesperson will also act as the cashier. Salespeople are often paid on a commission basis, meaning they receive a certain percentage of the value of goods they've sold. Salespeople will usually work regular hours, with many evenings and weekends as well. The work is fairly stress free but requires that you be on your feet for long periods of time. Salespeople need to be friendly and have strong customer service skills, as they will be dealing with customers on an ongoing basis.

Customer Service representatives are usually responsible for greeting customers as they enter the store, answering questions, and processing returns and exchanges. Many large retail stores will have a returns desk where these people will work. Their job is to ensure that the customer is satisfied with their experience at the retailers and that they have secured all the items they were seeking. Typically employees who are specifically customer service representatives are found only in large retail stores.

Cashiers are responsible for completing the transaction between a customer and a retail store by taking cash, credit card, debit, or check payments for an item. Cashiers are usually also responsible for counting cash and checking statements at the end of the day to ensure that their sales are balanced; meaning that all the transactions and cash exchanged is accounted for. In many retail stores cashiers will also be responsible for processing returns.

Stock or shipping employees are responsible for making sure store shelves are well stocked and for unpacking deliveries. They often work when the store is closed or out of sight of the customers (in the stock room). They will often be responsible for moving items from a delivery truck into the storage area and then unpacking them. Often they will keep inventory levels and will have some knowledge of where items are located in the stock room. Restocking shelves usually takes place when the store is closed (overnight). This position can require some heavy lifting and strenuous work. It can have health implications on those who work in the field.

All the positions in retail services require some level of customer service skills. Those who work in the field will work with customers on a daily basis and must try their best to ensure that the customer has an enjoyable experience at the store and must try to the best of their abilities to competently answer customer questions.

The salaries for those in retail stores are usually low. Many times it will be minimum wage, the lowest wage that is legally acceptable. Many people in the field are students and work their as a part time position, but there are others who work in retail stores for their entire careers. The work is fairly secure although turnover is usually high. There is a great demand on performance, especially for those working in sales. There are not many benefits available to retail workers and the opportunities for advancement are low.

Other common careers

Other career choices