subject: What does a retail manager do? [print this page] What does a retail manager do? What does a retail manager do?
You are probably already aware of the fact that a retail manager looks after a shop or even a group of shops but what do they actually do? If you are just starting your career in the retail industry and aspire to be a retail manager then you will be interested in finding out about what they do on a daily basis. You might also want to look into the entry requirements for this role to gauge whether it is something you are capable of and still want to pursue.
Below is a list of the sort of tasks that a retail manager might have to complete. Obviously it varies depending on the type of shop and the location. If you want to find out more about this role then it may be useful to look at some retail industry careers websites. Take a look at the list below to get an idea of what it is like to work in this role.
Organising Events
Some retail managers choose to organise special promotional events for their store to raise awareness and boost sales. These events take careful planning and rely on a good idea to generate interest. For example, a retail manager might decide to arrange an event for loyal customers who are signed up to a reward scheme.
Team motivation
Team motivation is a very important part of a retail manager's job. They need to set targets for their staff and encourage the team to work together effectively.
Stock management
Major decisions need to be made on a regular basis about what stock needs to be ordered and how much of each item is needed. Poor stock management can lead to the failure of a store because they could end up with a large amount of left over items which will be very costly. It is also important to make sure that the shop has enough of the most popular items so that potential sales are not lost.
Sales analysis
Sales analysis is also a very important part of this job because retail managers need to know if they are hitting their targets. Research into current sales performance needs to be done in order to predict what is possible in the future and set realistic targets.
Complaints management
If there is a serious complaint and the general staff members are unable to resolve the matter then it gets passed onto the manager. They need to be able to deal with the issue fairly and ensure that the customer is happy and their faith is restored.
