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General merchandise manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical general merchandise manager skills. We ranked the top skills for general merchandise managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 25.8% of general merchandise manager resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a general merchandise manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 general merchandise manager skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how general merchandise managers use customer service:
  • Promote a customer-focused approach to growth by creating an atmosphere of enthusiastic personalized customer service.
  • Recognized for building and leading teams that provided exceptional customer service according to established standards.

2. Inventory Control

Here's how general merchandise managers use inventory control:
  • Monitored and enforced high standards of inventory control and security measures based on corporate guidelines and procedures.
  • Coordinated general merchandise and health and beauty care departments regarding sales, merchandising and inventory control.

3. Front End

Here's how general merchandise managers use front end:
  • Help the Front End Manager relieve breaks and lunches.
  • Supervised clerks, front end and nightly bookkeeping.

4. Sales Floor

The sales floor is the area in a company or a business that is specified for retail activities or is designated as the selling area of the shop. A car showroom can be considered a sales floor, as it has cars in its display which are to be sold. A sales floor is generally crowded with sales assistants who are there to help you out while you can search and check out the products. Generally a sales floor has free access to the public and they can observe, view and get information about the product that is being sold.

Here's how general merchandise managers use sales floor:
  • Ordered product on a weekly basis to keep OOS low, sorted and work the product to the sales floor.
  • Job duties include: I oversee store operations on the sales floor and receiving departments, consisting of 27 employees.

5. Loss Prevention

The steps taken by a business to prevent theft is called loss prevention. There are multiple methods for loss prevention for example usage of automated cash handling, secure physical location, product security staff buy-in, and attentive customer service.

Here's how general merchandise managers use loss prevention:
  • Managed all activities in my department: Ordering, Stocking shelves, Controlling the back stock, Scheduling and Loss Prevention.
  • Developed and implemented new loss prevention methods which resulted in a 1.5% reduction in Shrink rates.

6. Inventory Management

Here's how general merchandise managers use inventory management:
  • Managed multiple budgets, developed and implemented policies, procedures and systems, including monthly open-to-buy and inventory management systems.
  • Major responsibilities included inventory management, personnel supervision, training and recruitment, creation of local marketing efforts.

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7. Store Operations

Here's how general merchandise managers use store operations:
  • Oversee all store operations based on the goals, objectives and standards of the organization.
  • Managed day to day operations of all general merchandise, and regularly managed store operations.

8. Customer Complaints

Here's how general merchandise managers use customer complaints:
  • Insured that all customer complaints with merchandise or employees were answered in a responsive and proper manner.
  • Resolve customer complaints Prepare daily schedule for up to 8clerks and comply with budget guidelines.

9. Product Availability

Here's how general merchandise managers use product availability:
  • Communicate regularly with the company regarding: policies; product availability; product style options; & new/future product line studies.
  • Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.

10. Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is the skill of having better information and knowledge about the product you are selling. Product knowledge is essential for the employees of the companies so they can communicate and inform the customers about the product. Having great product knowledge is essential for a better sales pitch and to give the customer a better and complete idea of the product that will influence him to buy the product eventually.

Here's how general merchandise managers use product knowledge:
  • Schedule training clinics; provide continuous support of product knowledge for team to exceed sales quotas.
  • Trained all new employees on computer system and product knowledge.

11. Store Management

Here's how general merchandise managers use store management:
  • Perform overall Store Management activities when scheduled as Manager in charge.
  • Provided excellent customer service for this retail operation, assisting store management in meeting company standards in overall store presentation.

12. Groceries

Here's how general merchandise managers use groceries:
  • Placed orders for groceries and other products.
  • Facilitated price checks and pitched in to bag groceries as needed.

13. Store Sales

Here's how general merchandise managers use store sales:
  • Improved store sales by optimizing merchandise presentation.
  • Managed promotional and seasonal merchandise in an effort to drive store sales.

14. Merchandise Presentation

Here's how general merchandise managers use merchandise presentation:
  • Ensured appropriate service levels, effective merchandise presentations and competitive pricing.
  • Assisted the store manager with merchandise presentations throughout the store and special projects.

15. Product Displays

Here's how general merchandise managers use product displays:
  • Meet with vendors on sales promotions, advertising, product display, accounts receivable and payable
  • Maintained inventory, store upkeep/front facing product display, date and expiration rotation checks.
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List of general merchandise manager skills to add to your resume

General merchandise manager skills

The most important skills for a general merchandise manager resume and required skills for a general merchandise manager to have include:

  • Customer Service
  • Inventory Control
  • Front End
  • Sales Floor
  • Loss Prevention
  • Inventory Management
  • Store Operations
  • Customer Complaints
  • Product Availability
  • Product Knowledge
  • Store Management
  • Groceries
  • Store Sales
  • Merchandise Presentation
  • Product Displays
  • Gross Profit
  • POS
  • Trade Shows
  • Product Placement
  • HR
  • Sales Associates
  • Stock Shelves
  • Employee Scheduling
  • Computer System
  • Retail Store
  • Sales Volume
  • Customer Relations
  • Direct Reports
  • Product Selection
  • Customer Inquiries
  • Bank Deposits
  • Cash Drawers
  • Promotional Campaigns
  • Stock Orders
  • Merchandise Displays
  • Harley-Davidson
  • Customer Issues
  • Seasonal Displays
  • Seasonal Merchandise
  • Photo Lab
  • Building Displays
  • Order Merchandise
  • In-Stock Position
  • Order Product
  • Hbc

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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