The retail sector is the second biggest employer in the UK after the National Health Service, so jobs as a sales assistant are plentiful. This work can be seasonal though, with big retail chains taking on far more people in the run-up to Christmas than normally work on the shop floor. Here’s our retail assistant job description to help you find out if this is the right job for you.
Retail sales jobs – from sales assistant to store manager to regional sales manager – take place within retail outlets to make sure that customers have the best experience possible while shopping. The duties often vary quite a lot, but generally, this sales job requires the assistant to advise customers, assist with product information, take payments and keep the shop floor fully stocked. In some areas of retail there is more ‘selling’ involved than in others. For instance, highly skilled sales people are needed for the sale of electrical goods, furniture, luxury clothing and jewellery. Often sales assistants in these types of stores are on commission or are working towards a sales target in order for the store to get a bonus.
Retail Assistant Job Description
Sales assistant responsibilities
Sales assistants are expected to:
• Tend to the needs of customers
• Provide information (and sometimes technical advice) on stocked products and their features
• Assist customers in finding what they are looking for in store
• Upsell and cross-sell in order to boost profits for the company
• Tell customers about promotions
• Ensure that stock is replenished
• Keep order in the shop and look out for shoplifters
• Sell products and meet sales targets
Shop assistant jobs – working conditions
The hours for this sort of sales job are different depending on the type of retailer you work for. Most high street shops have a working day of 8.30am to 5pm, with supermarkets and other sorts of shop having shifts during the day and night. Most sales assistant jobs entail long hours standing and walking around the floor.
Qualifications and skills
Although there is no strict requirement as to the qualifications needed to enter a sales job like this, GCSEs in English and Maths help. Skills expected include:
• Teamwork
• Flexibility
• Being friendly
• Working under pressure
• Confidence
• Stamina
Salary
Sales assistant jobs usually start at about £14,000 to £18,000 a year. With experience and managerial positions can earn at least £30,000. Managers of large supermarkets or flagship fashion stores can earn even higher salaries.
Flexible Working
What are your views?
[simplyjobs site_url=”https://www.simplysalesjobs.co.uk/” placement=”post” site_name=”Simply Sales Jobs” username=”SEO_TEAM” password=”fmgseo” feed_identifier=”blog_retail_sales” category=”Retail Sales jobs”][/simplyjobs]
How salesy does your CV need to be?
Knowing how hard to sell yourself in your CV is an age old challenge. Matt Craven, Personal Branding Expert and Founder of The CV & Interview Advisors tackles this subject from a sales jobs perspective and offers some interesting insights. CalibrateI...
Target a new sales job in 2020 with these 10 tips
Finding the time and motivation to find a new job can be difficult sometimes but these ten tips should help to get you on your way and give you the edge in finding that new career.Every new year the idea of a new job crosses most people’s minds, but for...
20 top CV tips for 2020
January is almost here, and there’s probably a lot going on around you at the moment - festive parties have taken their toll, and now as your company prepares to tackle 2020 with a vengeance, you might be asking yourself if you still want to be in the same job for the...