Retail Manager Job Description & Roles and Responsibilities

A Retail Manager is a professional who handles daily operations of a store. The retail manager oversees the retail store performance and aims to increase sales and profit of the store. He or she not only takes care of the store but also performs various activities related to the store like recruiting and training staff. The retail manager also manages inventory and stock to ensure good customer attraction.

Job Description of a Retail Manager

The job of a retail manager is to run a retail store and manage its daily operations. Apart from basic managerial skills, a retail manager looks after other business aspects as well. This includes activities related to sales, marketing and advertising. A retail manager focuses on increasing sales of the store by motivating staff to work up to their full potential and give satisfactory assistance to the customers.

A retail manager also handles the store's finances by budgeting and taking measures to minimise costs. This also includes analysing store performance and making reports for forecasting and further planning. He or she also takes care of stock level with the store to ensure product availability for the customers.

What are the Job Roles and Responsibilities of a Retail Manager?

The roles and responsibilities of a retail manager differ based on factors like locations of store, scale of operations, and the customer base of the store. The retail manager is responsible for maintaining good customer relations, effective staff management, and efficient performance of the store. Here are some of the roles and responsibilities of a retail manager:

Financial Management: A retail manager is responsible for reducing store costs and take steps to increase the profitability of the store. He or she analyses store performance based on various factors and take appropriate steps for better performance in the market. The retail manager tries to increase sales by maintaining quality standards and providing good services.

Customer Service: A retail manager's roles include establishing a wide customer base by maintaining healthy customer relationships. He or she interacts with the customers, ensures product availability, takes feedback from customers, and works with them to improve the services. A good customer customer reach helps in the growth of the business and brand value.

Inventory Management: A retail manager manages the inventory and stock of the store. He or she takes care of inventory levels, stock rotation and organisation by implementing efficient replenishment processes. A retail manager does a thorough analysis of customer preferences and focuses on visual merchandising.

Marketing and Promotion: A retail manager ensures that maximum number of people are aware of the store and its services. To increase the store traffic, he or she conducts various marketing and promotional activities, advertising, coordinates with vendors and even provides special offers for the customers.

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Career Progression of Retail Managers

The career as a retail manager progresses from entry-level positions to senior roles like store and regional manager. This depends on a variety of reasons like experience, skills, scale of operations and location of the store. Here are some of the general position in the career progression of the retail manager:

Entry-level positions: The entry-level positions for a retail manager are generally roles like sales associate, cashier or customer service. These roles help in building fundamental knowledge of how a retail store works and operates. These positions also help in gaining skills like patience and humility while dealing with customers which are very important in the career of a retail manager.

Assistant Manager: After candidates gain relevant skills and knowledge, and possess leadership skills, they are promoted to roles like assistant manager. An assistant manager is the person responsible for overseeing the performance and smooth functioning of a particular department or area within the store.

Store manager: A store manager or Retail manager is the position gained after excellent performance as an assistant manager in the store. A retail manager handles advanced responsibilities like managing finances, inventory and stock, marketing and advertising of the store along with good customer relations.

Regional Manager: A candidate as an regional manager is responsible for overseeing a large number of stores operating within a certain region. The regional manager provides guidance to the store managers of the region and conveys to them all the plans and strategies for marketing and advertising decided by the central authorities of the retail chain.

Also check - How to Become a Retail Manager

Qualifications Required to Become a Retail Manager?

A retail manager must complete 10+2 with any of the subjects from a recognised board. This is followed by pursuing a bachelor's degree. An individual trying to succeed in the career of a retail manager can further enhance the skills and knowledge by opting for a master's degree. Below are the options that can be explored:

Entrance Examinations

• CUET
• SET
• CAT
• XAT

Bachelor’s Degree Programmes

• B.Com (Bachelor of Commerce)
• B.A in Marketing Management and Retail Management
• BBA in Retail Management
• BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration)

Master’s Degree Programmes

• MBA in Retail Management
• MBA (Master of Business Administration)
• MBA in Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• MMS (Master of Management Studies)

What are the Skills Required to Become a Retail Manager?

A retail manager must have a mix of various skills for a successful career in the industry. These skills may include managing and organisational skills, basic business knowledge, and finance and marketing skills. Good communication skills are of paramount importance for the retail manager. He or she also analyses the store performance and takes steps for improving it. Here are some other skills that a retail manager needs:

• Leadership
• Customer service
• Salesmanship
• Problem-solving
• Adaptability

Who are the Top Recruiters of Retail Managers?

Recruitment of retail managers is based on several factors like skills of the manager, the location of the store, and market trends. The recruitment in this career is very competitive. The top recruiters that have a majority in the market share are below:

• V-Mart
• Reliance Retails
• Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd.
• Tata Group
• Bharti- Walmart

Also check - Retail Management Course

Salary of Retail Managers in Popular Companies

The salary of a retail manager in India varies from Rs. 2.0 Lakhs to Rs. 14.1 Lakhs. Salary of a retail manager depends on several aspects like location, size and type of retail store. Appropriate skills and experience also helps in financial growth of the retail manager. Here are some average annual salary structures provided by the top recruiters in India:

Conclusion

A retail manager manages the overall operations of a store. He or she oversees all the financial, staff management, and organisational activities of the retail store. After analysing all the elements, a retail manager is held responsible for taking up steps that lead to an increase in sales and minimise costs. The retail manager must have proper qualifications and skills to succeed in the career.

A retail manager should also maintain good relationships with customers and other service providers to ensure profitable business and build a brand reputation. The retail manager also faces dynamic challenges and competition in the industry and he or she must take appropriate steps to ensure proper functioning of the store.