The mall is a great place to meet friends. It’s also a place where thousands of sales take place each day. If you enjoy the bustle of shopping and have ever thought about working at a store in a mall, then retail sales could be a good fit for you. Careers in retail sales include jobs as cashiers, salespeople, department managers, store managers, display designers, buyers, and even business owners.

Anyone wanting to succeed in the retail business must genuinely like people and enjoy communicating with them. Retail salespeople help customers to find what they need and also try to get customers to choose additional products. Retail sales can be an exciting challenge. A salesperson must have the patience to listen to and assist customers who may or may not know exactly what they are looking for.

Salespeople report to retail managers or supervisors. Supervisors are involved in all areas of the store. They are familiar with every aspect of the business, including selling, accounting, advertising, inventory control, and purchasing. They also help settle customer complaints. Since retail stores employ a lot of salespeople, the supervisor also makes the work schedules, oversees the staff, and helps to solve any employee problems.

Successful retailers must keep current on the trends in their field. Having the most popular merchandise in stock is critical to a store’s success. Retailers must also be constantly planning ahead. Stores buy merchandise months before it is due to be offered for sales. When the first cold days of winter arrive, salespeople are already thinking ahead to what their customers will be wearing in the spring.

One benefit to working in the retail sales is that retail stores can be found everywhere. Salespeople are needed in cities, suburbs, and in small towns. They can work in individual stores or in mall stores. A retail store may be part of a national chain, or it may be a small, family-owned enterprise. With so much variety, a salesperson can choose to sell what he or she most likes – clothes, music, books, sports equipment, and much more. A customer can see when a salesperson knows and likes the product they are selling. This often leads to great sales and long-term sales relationships between a salesperson and his or her customers.

GETTING INTO THE FIELD

Many people working in retail started by working part-time in high school and rose to the top by putting in hard work and long hours. Loyalty to a store is often the most important factor in earning a promotion. Even salespeople with college degrees have said they received their real knowledge base from on-the-job training. Since on-the-job training is so important to salespeople, college degrees are not as important in sales as in other careers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, motivated sales associates without college degrees “may advance to administrative or supervisory positions in large establishments.”

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?

• A sense of personal style (fashion retail)
• Ability to get along with all kinds of people
• The energy to be on your feet all day
• Punctuality (reporting to work on time or at best 15 minutes early)
• Ability to take direction from managers
• Enthusiasm for the product you are selling
• Knowledge of computers (since stores use them to keep track of shipments and sales)

EDUCATION

• High school diploma or GED equivalent (entry-level position)
• Postsecondary education (management level position)

How far you go and how quickly you rise through the ranks may depend on whether you have education beyond high school. The higher levels of retailing – buying, merchandising, marketing, executive positions – often require a college degree. Over 150 U.S. Colleges and Universities, offer programs ranging from associate to master’s degrees in retailing, retail management, retail merchandising, retail marketing, retail sales, and fashion/apparel merchandising.

If you do not wish to pursue a two-or-four year college degree you can check your local community college or vocational school to see if they offer a certificate program, which takes less than a year to complete, in marketing, business, customer service, or retail sales management.

CERTIFICATIONS

U.S. Retail Industry Certification

National Professional Certification in Customer Service, managed by the National Retail Federation, is based on Customer Service and Sales Skill Standards and is appropriate for anyone interested in obtaining a job or pursing a career in retail and other customer service focused industries. For more information contact:

Shana Mack, Industry Certification Manager

202-626-8182 or macks @ nrf.com (no spaces)

CAREER OUTLOOK

There will always be a market for consumer spending. Simply put, people will always need and want to buy things. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2006 there were about 4.5 million jobs in retail sales. The growth rate of retail jobs is predicted to increase 12 percent over the next eight years.* The field has a high turnover rate, which means that new job opportunities are constantly opening up.

Great opportunities await in retail sales for a person who likes to communicate with people, who is excited about selling products, who is a good listener, and who is patient with customers and enthusiastic about helping them.

WHEN YOU’LL WORK

Retail is not a nine-to-five job. Work hours can be as long as a store is open. Some stores are open seven days a week, from mid morning to late evening, including many holidays. Others close their doors on Sundays, most evenings and most holidays. Part-time work shifts – for example, mornings only, or three days a week, or during the summer, or Christmas rush – is quite common. This flexibility is one of the advantages of sales work, because it allows employees to create schedules that fit their needs.

TIME OFF

Vacation days vary from store to store and also from employee to employee.

Beginners on a part-time schedule will not get the same consideration as long-term, full-time workers when it comes to taking time off. Most stores also restrict vacation time during the peak holiday sales season – from Thanksgiving until the beginning of January.

DOLLARS AND CENTS

Salaries vary greatly in retail sales. The level of responsibility, the years of service, and the size of the store all factor into the amount that salesperson can earn.

In general, salespeople start out at the federal minimum wage, which is currently $5.85 an hour. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the annual salary of sales managers averages between $26,490 and $44,570. Some workers are paid on commission, a percentage of the sales they make; a percentage above any quotas that may be set; or added merchandise discounts. Some workers get both a salary and commission.

Most stores let their employees buy merchandise at a discount. This can save the employee hundreds of dollars a year. Employees may also participate in profit-sharing plans and may receive bonuses and awards for outstanding sales. Although entry-level sales positions do not often offer health benefits or paid vacations, managers generally do get these types of benefits.

MOVING UP

If you show dedication to the job, a sense of responsibility and an understanding of the merchandise, you have the potential to rise through the ranks from sales to assistant department manager, overseeing the employees and the merchandise in your current department. From there you can become department manager, training and supervising staff and being responsible for meeting sales goals. The next promotion is store manager, which involves setting those goals, determining budgets, supervising all personnel and developing the store’s image. If you work for a chain of stores, you could then move on to area manager. Small stores may offer the least amount of opportunity to move up, as the owner usually does most managerial work.

National chain stores often have their own management-training programs, which may be a combination of classroom work and on-the-job training. Some department stores increasingly – though not always – require some higher education, a two-or-four year degree, to enter their management-training program.

There are some training programs a salesperson can take on their own to make themselves even more valuable to employers. (See section: Getting Into The Field: Education). By completing a training program, you will show your employer that you are serious about a retail career. Such dedication may help a salesperson to get promoted more quickly.

WHERE THE JOBS ARE

Jobs in retail sales exist wherever there are stores – all across the country, in big city department stores, small town boutiques and rural shopping malls.

All Retail Jobs – Largest retail career and recruiting board

Snag A Job – Find great retail jobs with companies in your area

Monster Job Board -

Career Builder -

Yahoo! Hot Jobs -

Retail Jobs in Canada -

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For More Information

Helpful Links

ASSOCIATIONS

National Retail Federation – 1.800.NRF.HOW2

You can get the free booklet “Careers in Retailing” by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to: 325 7th Street NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20004

Canadian Retail Institute – 1.888.373.8245

Established by the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) for those wanting a career in the exciting world of retail. The Students and Career Seeker’s section will arm you with valuable information: everything from the varied positions in the retail industry, to job seeking tips and an up-to-date Job Board.

MAGAZINES

STORES published by the National Retailer Federation.

VIDEOS

Retail Career Videos -

WEBSITES

All About the Retail Industry -

Monster Retail Job Advice -

Retail News Online – Contains many articles about the retail sales industry.

U.S. Department of Labor – Explains interesting facts about retail