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The differences between assistant store manager & merchandise managers and merchandise leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an assistant store manager & merchandise manager and a merchandise lead. Additionally, an assistant store manager & merchandise manager has an average salary of $61,782, which is higher than the $35,572 average annual salary of a merchandise lead.
The top three skills for an assistant store manager & merchandise manager include customer service, sales floor and store operations. The most important skills for a merchandise lead are sales floor, customer service, and customer satisfaction.
| Assistant Store Manager & Merchandise Manager | Merchandise Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $61,782 | $35,572 |
| Hourly rate | $29.70 | $17.10 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 321,218 | 72,605 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An assistant store manager and merchandise manager is a management professional who is responsible for assisting the store manager in supervising the operations and employees of the store while managing the purchase and delivery of products. This manager is required to reach sales goals and improve the store shortage program by working with the management team and associates. The manager must coordinate the flow of merchandise to the sales floor and expedite all shipments of products to avoid shortage. This manager should also provide excellent customer service and implement visual merchandise presentation.
A merchandise lead is responsible for strategizing merchandise methods to reach sales performance targets. Merchandise leads assist the consumers in choosing the best products according to their needs and budget limitations. They evaluate the current market trends to generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profitability by negotiating with trusted suppliers and vendors. A merchandise lead must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in helping with marketing and promotional campaigns to attract consumers' interests and meet public demands.
Assistant store manager & merchandise managers and merchandise leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Store Manager & Merchandise Manager | Merchandise Lead | |
| Average salary | $61,782 | $35,572 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $85,000 | Between $27,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Green Bay, WI |
| Highest paying state | - | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | - | PepsiCo |
| Best paying industry | - | Retail |
There are a few differences between an assistant store manager & merchandise manager and a merchandise lead in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Store Manager & Merchandise Manager | Merchandise Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between assistant store manager & merchandise managers' and merchandise leads' demographics:
| Assistant Store Manager & Merchandise Manager | Merchandise Lead | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4% | Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |