What Does A Retail Associate Do?

A retail associate sells, rents, or leases a product or service to a consumer. Helping customers find what they are looking for is a large part of the selling process in any retail business. The retail associate may be selling anything from shoes, to wallpaper, to computer equipment. To be successful as a retail associate, it is important thatyou are able to accurately describe a product’s features, demonstrate its use, and show the styles and options available. Every detail of a retail associate’s job is about selling the product!

Friendly, sincere and enthusiastic customer service is a very important skill in any retail position. Consumers spend millions of dollars every day on merchandise. Often, feelings a customer has about a store are formed by the dealings the customer has with the staff. This is why acting in a professional way and providing sincere and helpful customer service are such important skills to have as a retail associate.

For example, if a customer wants a particular product which is not available on the sales floor, a successful retail associate would offer to check the back stock room, call a partner store, or place a special order for that customer.

When an associate offers thoughtful service and the “extras”, the customer is happy. Customers remember retail associates – the impression you give will shape how the customer sees your store. Providing a customer with help to find what they need is the main responsibility of a retail associate. This is how repeat customers are won. One of the most rewarding feelings you will get as a new retail associate will be when you see a familiar face returning for your specific knowledge and help!

A retail associate is responsible for much more than selling to customers.

Multi-tasking is a skill that retail associates need to do all the time. For example, you need to be able to talk with the customer while you are entering their purchases, or you may need to answer a question your co-worker is asking while you are making change. Working in a retail store involves certain skills. An associate needs to be able to manage time wisely, even with many interruptions by customers and other staff. An associate who can be counted on and who can handle changes during the workday has powerful skills that are important in any retail job.

Multi-tasking:
- the ability to do more than one thing at the same time
- the ability to pay attention to more than one thing at the same time

Many things can affect the tasks a retail associate will be asked to do.
Working in a small independent store may have different duties from the tasks you are asked to do in a large company. Christmas holiday season or before school begins in the fall may mean more work for you at these times.
If you are a bookseller, your skills and knowledge about the product will be different than if you sell automobiles. All of these different situations, and much more, will have a big influence on the specific duties which you, as a retail associate, will be responsible for on any given day, week, or month!

A retail associate needs to have some or all of the following skills:
Customer service
Decision-making
Looking and acting professionally
Oral communication
Organization
Multi-tasking
Problem-solving
Time management
Use of technology
Working in a team setting
Working independently in a structured environment

A typical retail associate’s day will involve some or all of the following tasks:
Cashier duties
Cleaning and maintaining the store
Handling returns and exchanges
Mailing or delivering orders
Marking price tags up or down
Merchandising
Keeping track of inventory
Opening and closing procedures
Packaging purchases
Stocking shelves or racks
Knowledge of store incentive programs or sales initiatives
Providing telephone service
Bank deposits and coin orders
- Following safety precautions
- Being informed about the company