Retail Clerk Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the job description of a retail clerk, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they typically perform.

What Does a Retail Clerk Do?

A retail clerk, who may also be referred to as shop clerk, sales clerk, or retail associate, is someone who is responsible for obtaining or receiving merchandise, payments, and total bills, and who makes change for customers in retail stores.

So, basically, this position is for retail business and can sometimes be confused with that of the cashier.

The job description of most retail clerks usually involves selling items and providing answers to customers. It may also involve handling of cash registers and managing the company’s inventory.

The sales clerk works under the supervision of the manager or the owner of the retail business.

The nature of the job requires basic mathematical skills to be able to cope with making simple calculations such as addition and subtraction. It also requires a great deal of people or customer service skills.

The role of the retail clerk also requires someone with persuasive skills to relate customers’ needs to their company’s products. The individual aspiring to this position should be sociable with the ability to interact with clients effortlessly.

Other duties the clerk may perform include cleaning the store and keeping the work environment tidy and organized.

Retail Clerk Job Description Example/Sample/Template

The following job description example consists of major duties, tasks, and responsibilities usually performed by retail clerks:

• Receive money for purchases and calculate customers change if any
• Execute clerical functions in retail stores
• Assist and support the retail manager in ensuring the smooth running of the store
• Greet customers courteously and sell merchandise to them
• Prepare, total, and verify billings and collect correct payments from customers
• Verify and reconcile customers’ bills with the merchandise they bought
• Maintain, manage, and organize merchandise on the shelves and racks in the store
• Help customers find the item they desire to purchase on the shelves
• Maintain and manage records of merchandise inventories in the store
• Supervise retail clerical functions and activities in the store
• Ensure excellent retail experiences to customers
• Maintaining the outlook of the store. This implies cleaning, arranging, and when necessary stocking the shelves
• Reports to the manager when difficulties arises

Retail Clerk Job Description for Resume

A resume has different sections to be completed using the right information and statements. To make the job experience section of the retail clerk resume therefore, information from the sample job description shown above can be used.

Retail Clerk Requirements: Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge for Career Success

Here is a list of important skills and qualities to have to excel working as retail clerk, which can also be used in making a resume for the role:

• Track record/experience of handling similar responsibilities in the past
• People skills: Having excellent people skill is vital for the position of retail clerk because most of the times you will be meeting with people and trying to convince them to buy your company’s products
• Ability to be friendly and understand customers as they come
• Ability to multi task and manage stress of high levels
• Ability to work with time effectively
• Ability to be proactive, initiative, enthusiastic, and flexible on the job
• Must be self motivated individual with high degree of enthusiasm for the job
• Must be an honest individual with integrity
• Ability to effectively handle merchandise activities
• Ability to cope under pressure posed by customers
• Must have strong marketing skills
• Ability to handle inventory control procedures and product stocking
• Conversant with retail store protocols and procedures
• Possess ability to work and operate under stressful situations
• Ability/experience in store display organization
• Good communication and interpersonal skills to relate with customers, fellow workers, and management effectively
• Ability to keep up with ideas to revolutionize the image of the store
• Ability to socialize and interact with customers
• Ability to overcome rejection and achieve sales goals; meeting targets
• Ability to effectively initiate new contacts and convert into buyers
• Ability to ensure customer satisfaction
• Ability and experience in handling tight deadlines
• Ability to engage in promotion activities – store product with the aim of improving sales
• Ability to employ persuasive skills where necessary to get customers to be interested in company’s products

Help share this: Thank you for reading our retail clerk job description sample and skills, which can be used as a template in making resumes for the position. If you enjoyed it, please help share it with friends on your favorite social media channel.