Retail Jobs Key Terms

Learn retail jobs key terms to help you meet your staffing needs

By Raechel L. Conover

Whether you own a retail store such as a clothing store, a book store, a chain store or a drug store, it is imperative for you to understand the responsibilities of every position in your store and how they work together to make your store a profit. Understanding retail jobs will help you know your employee's needs, you’re staffing requirements and will allow you to make informed decisions. To stay in tune with your employees learn the following key terms.

Retail salesperson

Also referred to as a sales associate, a retail salesperson is your first point of contact with your customers. A salesperson is responsible for greeting customers, helping them find what they are looking for, controlling the cash register and more. Having a good salesperson is a huge factor in the success of your store.
Try: Career Planner offers a detailed explanation of a retail salesperson including the knowledge and skills required to perform this job.

Retail buyer

To accurately stock your shelves, you must rely on your retail buyer. A retail buyer is the person in your company who researches past buying trends, sales records, price and quality to select the best products to stock your shelves with. They are responsible for placing merchandise orders, authorizing payments and training sales staff on new products.
Try: To learn more about a retail buyer position, including the responsibilities and skill requirements, visit CareerOneStop.

Store operations

Your store operations employee is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the store operations such as profits, loss prevention and human resources. Other titles for a store operations position would be Head of Store Operations, Regional Manager and District Manager.
Try: The National Retail Federation details the responsibilities of a store operations employee.

Store manager

Your store manager is your go to person if you have any questions regarding the day to day operations of your store. A store manager is the person responsible running the store at a profit, stocking merchandise, attracting customers, scheduling and more. Often times, the duties of a store manager vary depending on the size of your store and if the store is part of a chain of stores.
Try: Explore the skill requirements and details on a store manager position at Net Industries.

Loss prevention

Loss prevention jobs are an area of employment in your store that you want to pay close attention to. Loss prevention retail jobs are responsible for protecting your goods from shoplifting, employee theft and vendor fraud. Loss prevention retail jobs are also responsible for keeping your employees and customers safe while they are in your store.
Try: To better understand what loss prevention jobs are, check out Career Voyages.

Visual merchandiser

Your visual merchandiser is a key component to your profits. A visual merchandiser works to make sure your products are displayed to attract the most customers in a way that highlights your stores values. Visual merchandisers focus their time on window displays, store displays and store decorations.
Try: McKenzie Retail gives a complete description on a visual merchandiser's roles and responsibilities.